Theodore E. Stein

1934 - 2019

Stein, Theodore E.
Theodore Estes Stein, Sr., 84, longtime resident of Middletown, CT, passed away peacefully at his home in Tylerville on March 25, 2019. Born July 23, 1934, in Burlington, IA, Ted was the devoted husband of Lee Stein (nee Licitra) and beloved father to their three children, Theodore E. Stein Jr., Alex Stein and Nina Dunn. The only son of Theodore Charles Stein and Marjorie Estes Stein, Ted attended the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Preparatory School in St. Louis and won a scholarship to Wesleyan University. In 1954, a chance encounter with striking local girl working for then-Mayor Harvey Clew blossomed into a courtship that culminated his marriage to Lee in September, 1955. Ted joined Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company (now Mass Mutual) as an underwriter in 1955 and served in field services, marketing and marketing research before being named Assistant Vice President of Marketing in 1970. He was a pioneer in the use of personal computers for Connecticut Mutual's insurance agents and worked on some of the earliest computer networks and networked applications. Retiring from Connecticut Mutual in 1985, he started TELIC Inc., an early independent software implementation and training consultancy, which he ran until his retirement in 2011. Ted and Lee raised their family in Middletown's South Farms District. He was an avid tennis player and continued to play well into his 60s with his best friend Sam Katz. When Lee fell ill, Ted dedicated himself to her well-being, managing her appointments and her daily care until her passing in 2013. Four years later, Ted relocated from the family home to The Saybrook at Haddam in Tylerville, close to his son Alex. He is survived by his sons, Theo and daughter-in-law Aimée Stein of Lafayette, Colo., and Alex and daughter-in-law MaryAnn Stein and granddaughter Emma Godi, all of Chester; and by his daughter Nina and son-in-law Jeffrey Dunn of Bentonville, Ark. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ted's and Lee's names to Middlesex Health's Hospice program. A celebration of Ted's life will be held for friends and family at the Red House Restaurant, 158 Main St., Deep River on Sunday, June 9th from 1 to 4 p.m. To share memories or express condolences online please visit
www.biegafuneralhome.com