Howard Teifke

Howard Teifke, age 93, of Maumee, Ohio passed away peacefully of natural causes at his home on Friday, February 15, 2019, surrounded by his loving family and dog, Archie. He was born on October 26, 1925 in Fremont, Ohio to Albert and Anna (Cook) Teifke. He graduated from Fremont Ross High School in 1942 and then almost unexpectedly, he attended The Ohio State University after coaches came through his small town looking for young men to join the football team. He left for Columbus the next day and the course of his life was changed. He was coached for four years by Wes Fesler; their football team affectionately known as “The Last of the 40s”. Howard played Center; never weighing more than 200 lbs. during his college career. One of his uniforms is proudly displayed in the family business, a wool bodysuit which was fastened with wooden buttons. Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of his college football career was his teams 0-4 record against TTUN. In 1944, after his first year in college, Howard enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps because “that is just what you did”. He failed to communicate his new plans as his coaches were calling his parents to find out where their student/athlete was and his parents were calling his coaches to find out where their son was. After initial training in Texas, Howard found himself in Italy as a member of the 376th Heavy Bombardment Group. He flew in 25 missions across Italy as an upper turret gunner in B-24 Liberators. In his later years, he was interviewed by a veterans group about his experiences in WWII and his recorded comments are part of an archive in the Library of Congress. Howard returned to Ohio State after his proud service to his country, He earned a Bachelors Degree in Education and was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He maintained several gold crowns in his mouth that were put in place decades ago by his fraternity brothers who were in dental school. He mainted lifetime memberships at numerous organizations at Ohio State including the Presidents Club, Varsity O and the Alumni Association.. He was a season-ticket holder for the football team for (at least) 65 years. After graduation, Howard settled in Toledo, teaching math and coaching baseball and football at Waite High School in East Toledo. At the same time, he became friends with the owners of the Neighborhood Inn/Toledo Sports Center, Bruce and Ivadelle Davis; he would work for them for 17 years. While working at the Sports Center, he met a lovely, young woman named Teresa Estvanik.. They married at Holy Rosary Church on June 15, 1963. They celebrated 56 years of marriage in 2018. Fifty-six was Howards number at Ohio State and has become known as the “family number”. In 1968, he took advantage of an opportunity to buy his own business, The Timbers, in Maumee He was a hands-on businessman and he would often be found at the “front counter” during the busiest times of the day. His standards were high and expected to be maintained. A “day-off” was a rarity. He “semi-retired” from The Timbers in December, 2017, which is now run by his son, Marty. March 2019 will mark 51 years of ownership. His skills as a businessman and community leader combined in 1984 when he was elected to Maumee City Council. He maintained a seat for 16 years and served as President of Council from 1998-1999. He continued to be involved in the Maumee Planning Commission up until the last few years. Howard was also very involved in many professional and civic groups in his community, too numerous to mention. He was a Past President of the Greater Toledo Bowling Proprietors Association. He is a member of the Greater Toledo United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service. In 2014, he was inducted into the Ohio Bowling Hall of Fame as a “Pioneer in the Sport of Bowling”. He was active in the Maumee Rotary Club and the Maumee Uptown Business Association for many years. In 1994 he received the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Maumee Chamber of Commerce for his service to the people and the city of Maumee. He was a proud member of the Maumee American Legion and enjoyed participating in the Memorial Day parade every year until 2017. He was an active parishioner at St. Josephs, Maumee, Catholic Church since 1968 and faithfully served there in many capacities including School Council, Parish Council and as an Usher. He and his wife, Teresa, were dedicated to the education of their children in a faith-filled environment at St. Josephs Maumee, St. Johns High School & Notre Dame Academy. When he wasnt working, Howard enjoyed fishing, playing solitaire and bowling. In 1972, he threw the only 300 game of his career in the City Tournament at Haggertys. He loved a good martini and a celebratory shot after a Buckeye victory. His grandchildren were blessed to have such a generous Papa who enjoyed showering them with packs of gum, Ohio State merchandise and a couple extra dollars to make sure they were “ok”. Howard is survived by his wife Teresa; sons, Michael, Martin and Matthew; daughter, Melissa; grandchildren, Gabby, Drew, Haley, Matthew, Sam, Lucy, Jackson Howard and Lily and great- grandson, George Howard. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Norman Teifke and sister, Lois Wasserman. A gathering for family and friends will be held from 4-8 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at the Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home, 501 Conant Street, Maumee, Ohio. The Funeral Mass will be held at 11 am on Thursday, February 21, 2019 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Maumee, Ohio. The family will also greet visitors beginning at 10:15am at the Church. Please feel free to wear Howards favorite colors, Scarlet & Grey, as we gather to celebrate his wonderful life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be directed to Hospice of Northwest Ohio, the Maumee Rotary Club or St. Joseph, Maumee, Catholic Church. Online condolences may be given at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com “A life well-lived, good and faithful servant.”