Ted Orden (Ordentlich), who died Sept. 11 at age 94, lived a life that exemplified the American dream. A survivor of the Holocaust who also lived through the scourge of communism, he immigrated to the United States in 1959 with his beloved wife, Hedy, and two young daughters. Ted was a visionary entrepreneur who founded Thrifty Oil Co. but said his proudest accomplishment was reuniting his extended family and bringing them to America. He was extremely patriotic and never failed to express gratitude to this country for the opportunities it provided to him and his family.
The youngest of six siblings, Ted was born in Dej, Romania, in 1921 to a loving, prominent Jewish family. His life and his schooling were disrupted when he was sent to a forced labor camp during World War II; his parents and two of his siblings died during the Holocaust. After the war, he met the love of his life, Hedy Adler, and proposed marriage after 30 minutes. They were happily married for 69 years and together raised a close-knit and loving family.
In 1960, Ted and Hedy opened their first service station. Ted exhibited an extraordinary entrepreneurial talent, and Ted and Hedy rapidly expanded their business to eventually become the largest independent owner and operator of service stations on the West Coast. Ted valued his longtime employees and appreciated the contribution they made to the success of his business.
They supported many charitable organizations, including the Board of Governors of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, L.A. Opera, Music Center, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Museum of Tolerance, Sinai Temple and many causes in Israel. One of Ted’s proudest moments was to serve on the committee for the renovation of the Statue of Liberty for the American bicentennial. His family will miss the unconditional love, strength, determination and courage of their beloved patriarch, and will forever be grateful for his optimism, his courage, and for the life and opportunity he created for them.
Ted is survived by wife Hedy; daughters Martha (Barry), Judy (Tom) and Helen (Moshe); grandchildren Daniel (Jessica), Bryan (Tina), Jacqueline (Adam), Monica (Keith), Jamie (Daniel), Lauren, Michelle, Jonathan, Elana, Elliot and Ariella; and great-grandsons Jacob, Jack and Benjamin. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Ted and Hedy Orden and Family Friday Night Live at Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024.
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