Dexter Corwin "Ted" Tight

1924 - 2018

Dexter Corwin "Ted" Tight

"September 14, 1924 - April 19, 2018"

Ted passed away peacefully at the Sequoias of Portola Valley on Thursday, April 19th at the age of 93.
Devoted to his family, his church and his community, Ted will be remembered for his kindness and the standards he set for the highest levels of leadership, responsibility and integrity. His infectious smile and wonderful sense of humor enabled Ted to build friendships and relationships with people from all walks of life and cultures around the world.

Ted was born in San Francisco to Marie and Dexter J. Tight. He attended Lowell High School and Southern Arizona School for Boys. Ted graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Denison University in Granville, Ohio where he was President of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, creating many life-long friendships. He was also Student Body President and later a life member of the Denison Board of Trustees.

A veteran of both WWII and the Korean War, Ted received his law degree from Yale Law School and joined the San Francisco firm Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro before becoming General Counsel for Schlage Lock Company and then spending much of his career as General Counsel and SVP International at The Gap, Inc.

Ted was close to the Church and enriched his faith by becoming an Elder at Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco and later at Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley. He became inspired and challenged by Episcopal Bishop of Northern California, William Swing, to become a founding member of the interfaith organization known as URI (United Religions Initiative) which is committed to engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences for the greater good.

Ted believed strongly in giving back to the community by volunteering his services to many organizations in San Francisco, often taking on leadership roles, which included: President of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, President of the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, Board member of the Mid-Peninsula Boys and Girls Club, Executive Vice President of the Guardsmen, Board member of the Commonwealth Club, and Board member of the San Francisco Council of the Boy Scouts of America, where his three sons achieved Eagle Scout in the highly-respected Troop 14. In addition, he was on the Board of "That Man May See" at UCSF Hospital. In his retirement Ted volunteered overseas with International Executive Service Corp in both Prague and Latvia to help train emerging entrepreneurs.

An avid outdoorsman, Ted spent countless happy hours fly-fishing on the McKenzie River in Oregon, duck hunting in Cordelia, backpacking with family & friends in the Sierras, and creating treasured family memories at their Pinecrest Lake cabin. He was a formidable competitor, whether on the tennis court or at the domino table. And he could often be found behind a winning hand of dominoes at the Bohemian Club where he was a long-time member of Camp Faraway, the Palo Alto Club and the Menlo Country Club.

Ted is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Elizabeth Callander "Betty" Tight; his four children and their spouses Dexter "Tim" (Jane), Kathryn Loken (Stephen), Steven (Chris) and David (Janet); and his ten grandchildren Dexter "Elliot" (Elizabeth), Andrew, Riley, Peter, Connor, Charlotte, Griffin, Madeleine, Delaney and Sophie.

Our special thanks to Zenas Admassu, Ted's wonderful caregiver for his final two years.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, May 24th, at 3:30 PM at Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ted's name to Mid-Peninsula Boys and Girls Club or United Religions Initiative (URI).