Theodore (Ted) Joseph Mouché, age 94, of Temple, TX, passed away Wednesday, December 7, 2016, in Temple. Memorial mass will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 15, 2016, at Saint Luke Catholic Church in Temple, TX, followed by interment at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, TX.
Ted, the oldest child of Adolph Joseph Mouché and Agnes Barbara Schill, was born on Jan. 6, 1922, in Los Angeles, CA. Travel was always in his blood. He made his first trip by train at the age of 6 months, when his family moved back to live on a homestead on the edge of the Escalante Desert in Hamlin Valley, Utah, for two years.
He grew up in Monrovia, CA, with his sisters Mary and Betty, learning to ‘make-do’ during the Great Depression. He developed a love of gardening from his father and the love of learning from his mother. His sisters always held a special place in his heart. He graduated from Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte High School and Pasadena Junior College and was on track to graduate from the University of California Berkeley with a degree in geology in the summer of 1943 when World War II changed his plans. In October 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in the Army Aviation Cadet Program. He took his mid-terms for his senior year at UC-Berkeley and was told to report for duty.
On February 6, 1944, he graduated as a twin-engine pilot and received the coveted silver wings and commission as a 2nd Lt. That same day he graduated (in absentia) from the University of California Berkeley with an AB degree in geology. After months of training in various aircraft, he flew a Curtis C-46D with a crew to Manila, Philippines in mid-1945. They piloted many troops and supplies to Okinawa, Japan, and when the war ended, they flew personnel and supplies from Manila to Tokyo to General MacArthur for the Japanese surrender on the battleship Missouri.
Upon his own return home, Ted was promoted to 1st Lt. and was honorably discharged. He went to work as a junior geophysicist for United Geophysical Company in Pasadena, CA. Later he transferred to Santa Barbara, CA, where he met Rose (Lee) Leonardi. After Ted completed a 2-year assignment as chief seismologist for United Geophysical working on Bahrein Island in the Persian Gulf, they married on Dec. 31, 1949, in Holy Angels Catholic Church in Arcadia, CA.
Once married, they moved often for Ted’s work assignments, including stops in Mt. Pleasant, TX; Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Paris, France; and Pittsburgh, PA. The family also lived in Houston; Oklahoma; Tehran, Iran; and Jakarta, Indonesia. Ted retired from Phillips Petroleum in Denver, CO in 1985 and he and Lee moved to Temple, TX in 2003 to be closer to family.
Ted was a Distinguished Toastmaster, an Eagle Scout and Boy Scout leader, fencer (sabre and epee were his specialties) and fine-finish woodworker. He packed his shop tools around the world. He loved to learn new languages, immerse himself in new cultures, and read voraciously throughout his life. He and Rose traveled to more than 50 countries. He was dedicated to his family, church and country. He was a lector at St Luke Catholic Church in Temple. He was a member of the Order of Daedalians, a fraternal and professional order of American military pilots and was active in the Mile High Flight 18 chapter in Aurora, CO, and was a founding member of the Ft. Hood Flight 103 chapter in Killeen, TX. He volunteered as a tutor for elementary schools in Colorado and Temple and was a past member of the Big T Toastmasters Club in Temple, the Central Texas Genealogical Society and the Tri-City Gem & Mineral Society. He also volunteered for the Temple Civic Theater.
Ted was an adventurous man who loved his family deeply. He instilled a love of learning and travel in his children. He and Lee took them on many trips throughout the USA and around the world, teaching them how to read maps and about the geology and history of each place they visited. He loved to fly fish in Montana, hiked many trails in the Rocky Mountains, and with Lee, climbed several 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado. Ted had a great sense of humor and loved puns and plays on words. He was a gracious man, loving husband and wonderful father. He will be missed greatly.
Ted was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Mary and Betty. He is survived by his wife Lee, daughter Jan and husband Randy of Houston; son Rick and wife Wendy of Illinois; son Steve and partner Cindy of Norman, Oklahoma; daughter Nancy and spouse Lee of Missoula, MT; daughter Carol and spouse Barbara of Temple, TX; and 6 grandchildren and their partners: Allie & Kim, David, Kristin & Jeremy, Peter, Lauren & Jon and Sam. He is also survived by in-laws Robert and Fern Leonardi, Marge Leonardi, Elenor and Jake Loran, and Irene and Louie Flannery, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Ted’s name to the Building Fund at St. Luke Catholic Church, 2807 Oakdale, Temple, TX, 76502.
Hewett Arney Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. www.hewettarney.com
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