Cover photo for Edward "Ted" Wenzel's Obituary
Edward "Ted" Wenzel Profile Photo
1948 Edward 2021

Edward "Ted" Wenzel

June 9, 1948 — June 23, 2021

Edward Orrin (Ted) Wenzel
On a beautiful summer morning, Edward Orrin (Ted) Wenzel, age 73, of Florence, departed from this life on June 23, 2021, at his home surrounded by his loving family, friends, birds, and dogs; just as he wanted it to be. He was born on June 9, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Orrin and Mary Thompson Wenzel.

He and his brother Jack grew up in Haddonfield and Princeton, New Jersey. He graduated from Choate Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut in 1967. He then attended UC Davis in California graduating with a degree in Ecology and Fisheries Biology. After college, he worked as a biologist in Oregon and California.

In the 1970s he was very involved with and did considerable work on the California Peregrines Nesting Population Report. He was passionate about falconry and held a master falconer's license. Ted received a job as a federal biologist in 1979 with the Bureau of Land Management and moved to Butte, Montana. He worked at the BLM for 8 years, before transitioning to teaching secondary students biology, earth science, and geology at CMR in Great Falls for 16 years. He earned the credentials from Montana State University, double majoring in Biology and General Science.

Ted loved Montana. The mountains, rivers, and wildlife. He was an avid and masterful big game, pheasant, quail, and turkey hunter, as well as a fly fisherman.

He was an original and beautiful soul. He loved teaching young people about nature and his many outdoor hobbies; field trials with his English Setters, archery, tennis, and mountain biking, and climbing. He had a sharp wit and, was a voracious reader and loved the poetry of E.E. Cummings. He loved bluegrass and clawhammer banjo, Appalachian music, Neil Young, and the Grateful Dead.

Ted's was the life of a down-to-earth, kind, and generous man. It was a good life well lived and we that loved him will miss him dearly.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his many beloved English Setters.
Survivors include his son, Kevin Charles of Missoula; a brother, Jack (Mae) Wenzel of Princeton, New Jersey; his life partner for 36 years, Eileen Eamon; two stepsons, Joshua, and Jerry Eamon of Missoula; adopted sister, Helen Richards of Butte, Montana; nieces and great-nieces, Sophie (Todd) Wenzel-Priest, and Solette and Lila of Blacksburg, Virginia; a nephew, Nickolai Wenzel of North Carolina. Many Louisiana cousins and friends across the United States and Canada.

A memorial service will be held for Edward "Ted" Wenzel on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Missoula Double Tree Inn, located at 100 Madison Street.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, 5705 Grant Creek Rd., Missoula, Montana 59808. Arrangements are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Edward "Ted" Wenzel, please visit our flower store.

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