He is survived by his daughters, Bridgette Fincher of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Beth Jones of Montrose, Colorado; his sons-in-laws, Derrel Fincher and Steve Jones; and grandchildren, Adair Fincher and husband Christiaan Mitchell of Honolulu, Hawaii , Cameron Fincher and his fiancé Cynthia Lemons of Rogers, Jennifer Jones of Norman, Oklahoma and Kali Jones of Flagstaff, Arizona. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 51 years, Kay Solarz, in 2009.
Ted was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1932, the son of Walter and Stella Solarz, who had immigrated to the United States via Ellis Island from Poland in 1922. He viewed the changing of America through the proud eyes of a first generation American, along with his older brothers, Stan and Bill, and his sister, Charlotte in Parma, Ohio. While a senior in high school, Ted joined the United States Marine Corps in 1950, and was sent to Korea to fight as part of the 1st US Marine Division. In December of 1951, he survived the fierce Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, but sustained severe frostbite in his feet and legs which took him out of frontline fighting. After recuperating in Japan, he finished his tour of duty in Camp Pendleton as a firearms instructor. Ted then attended college, first at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and later at the University of Oklahoma. He graduated a certified rock hound in 1956 with a degree in Geology. It was during this time, that he met and wooed a perky, red-haired Oklahoman by the name of Kay Buttolph of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Ted continued onwards to pursue his graduate studies in geology until 1958, at which time Ted and Kay were married on Valentine’s Day of that year in Norman, Oklahoma. In May, Ted accepted a job offer from Standard Oil Company of Indiana. From that moment on, he embarked on a thirty-two year long career in the exploration and production of oilfields around the globe as an exploration geologist. With his wife and two-month old daughter in tow, Ted headed off for the Philippines, where two other developments changed his life. The first was the birth of his second daughter. The second was that at this time, Ted became a member of the Masons, which became a lifelong passion.
Ted changed companies and joined Exxon Oil Company in 1962 and with them wildcatted new fields in stints in Libya and Singapore. Moving up the corporate ladder, he transitioned to Amoco Oil Company in 1968, oversaw development of oil fields in Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador, Holland, and England followed. In 1977, Ted and Kay were ready to come home back to the States, where Ted was in charge development of oil in the Wasatch Range in Utah and Wyoming where he retired from Amoco in 1986. Upon his retirement, Kay wanted to open a bed and breakfast. She and Ted moved to Rogers and opened the Arkansas Discovery in 1986. The bed and breakfast was a success for twelve full years. However, the oilfield was not done with Ted. He worked on a consultant basis off and on during those years for Amoco in the North Sea in Europe. When he was not doing that, he was also helping Kay at the Arkansas Discovery and rose through the ranks of the Royal Arch Masons, The Knights Templar and the Red Cross of Constantine. He was so proud to obtain the rank of 32 second degree in the York Rite as well as many other honors within the organization but found his brotherly foundation with the members of the Blue Lodge of the Master Masons in Bentonville. With Kay, Saturday nights were spent in the company of the Corona bunch, wood working, gardening out in the yard, and being an avid birder and feeder of the various woodpeckers, scarlet tanagers and the occasional errant squirrel who came to visit. After Kay’s death in 2009, Ted and Domino—their black and white house cat, joined the warm company of the Innisfree Retirement Community. Dining with friends, serving on the Resident’s Board, playing games of Bingo and Wheel of Fortune, being the cat brushing staff of one to Domino, and collecting toast to feed the birds out in the main field along with continued service to the Masons filled his days. Through it all, Ted enjoyed the love of his family and friends and continued to be the gentleman that he was up to the very end.
The memorial service will be held at Rollins Funeral Home in Rogers, Arkansas at 2pm on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 with a cookie reception to follow celebrating a life fully and well lived at Innisfree. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Bentonville Masonic Lodge in support of their Student Scholarship Fund. The family would like to publicly thank the administration and staff at Innisfree Retirement Community. The warmth, fellowship and professional caring philosophy can be felt everywhere and you all made the last two years of life for Ted a joyful one. Secondly, for the second time in two years, the Circle of Life Hospice has helped the family to transition both Ted and Kay with dignity, support and caring.
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