THEODORE "Ted" MACK

Fort Worth, Texas - Theodore “Ted” Mack, lawyer and civic leader, died peacefully at home on August 6. Born in Fort Worth, he was the son of Henry and Norma Harris Mack.  Ted graduated from R. L. Paschal High School as a TCU Horned Frog fan. Despite his love for TCU and his home town of Fort Worth, he hit the road, attending Harvard College and Harvard Law School, where in addition to getting a top-notch education, he learned to love drinking Jack Daniels in the winter and gin and tonics in the summer. As a third generation Texas lawyer, he returned home to spend his entire professional career practicing law in Fort Worth until retiring in 2018.

Always in a bow tie, Ted was a brilliant and exceptional attorney, handling complicated matters across the country.  Many of his clients became lifelong friends, and many of his friends called on him for his legal skills.  He was just as likely to be found on Capitol Hill in DC, as in the Tarrant County Courthouse on Weatherford Street.  He believed strongly in helping those without resources and was known to work for free or take payment in kind when necessary.  Numerous reported cases bear his name as lead counsel, and he was the magic behind many land and oil and gas deals.   Viewing effective mentoring as the lifeblood of the legal profession and of singular importance, he always took time to teach young lawyers, both within his firms and through the John C. Ford Inn of Court.  With a keen mind for business, Ted served as an officer and director of the Southern Plow Company.   Later in his career, Ted became a mediator and an arbitrator, to his great satisfaction.  Recognized as a Best Lawyers in America^© and as a Texas Super Lawyer^©, Ted was a lawyer’s lawyer.  

No discussion of Ted’s career would be complete without considering his civic contributions.  He served on the boards of many organizations, among others, the Presbyterian Night Shelter, Fort Worth Country Day, the Edna Gladney Home, and Temple Beth-El, later becoming Beth-El’s President.  He was devoted to his alma mater, serving as President of the Harvard Law School Association of Texas.  He was a proud member of the Rotary Club and Torch Club, both of which enabled him to pursue his intellectual interests.  A patron of the arts, he could always be found at museum openings and Symphony, until his health and vision declined. 

Ted was a devoted husband to his wife Ellen for sixty years until her death in 2020. He raised his three daughters to be like him: strong-minded independent professionals.  He instilled in his daughters a love of education, reading, summer camp, the arts, theater, symphony, food, wine, dogs, and travel.  He and Ellen saw the world together ranging from drives across North America to adventures in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Ted would always seek out the best restaurants and know the perfect wine to order with every meal.  At home, he relished his favorite Fort Worth restaurants and savored the grapes with his wine club. Later in life, he excelled at cooking and pairing wines with his gourmet creations.  His knowledge was expansive, which led to many wonderful hours of conversations about classic books, movies, art, and history--there was always something to learn when talking to him.  He took pride in the accomplishments of his children, grandchildren, and mentees.  A compliment from Ted was well-earned and a great gift.

He accomplished these life achievements while blind in one eye, which he rarely discussed, but he was happy to ensure that those around him knew the obstacles associated with his left-handedness.

Ted is survived by his daughter, Katherine Mack and son in-law David Friefeld of Houston and her sons, Mack and Joseph Dowdall; daughter, Elizabeth Mack and son in-law David Allen of Dallas and their daughters, Brooke and Zoe Allen; daughter, Alexandra Mack and son in-law Kurt Zeppetello of Connecticut and their son, Julian Zeppetello; and his beloved dog, Santos.

He will be laid to rest privately on the family lot in the Beth-El Section of Greenwood Memorial Park.  A memorial service will be held on October 15, 2023 at 3 pm at Temple Beth-El, 4900 Briarhaven Road.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Beth-El Congregation, the Mack Judaica Book Fund at the Harvard University Libraries, the Fort Worth Symphony, or to the Amon Carter Museum, in his memory.

Ecclesiastes 3.1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.