Max Ortner

Our Father, Grandpa, and Friend Max was the only child of Maximillian & Ella Ortner. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 7, 1913. For such a gentle, soft-spoken man, Max led a very active life. He was always in very good health. He really took care of himself. One of his favorite things to do was take a long walk every morning when he got out of bed. When he was a boy, he was an avid Cubs fan. One of his treasured childhood memories was being invited to watch the Cubs games from an apartment overlooking left field. Max by trade was an Electrical Engineer. Yet, he always had a lifelong dream to become an architect, which he was able to fulfill. His architectural drawings are masterfully designed. He was indeed a talented man. Max married Lucille, the love and light of his life. They were married for 55 years. In 1956 they moved to La Jolla, California and raised their three children there. They had 3 children: Lynne, Jim, and Tom, all who presently live in San Diego. Lucille preceded Max in death in 1995. Aside from the great love for his family, his greatest loves were music and composing. His favorite composers were Bach, Mozart, and Brahms. Interestingly, Max was also a jazz fan, his favorite jazz musician being Art Tatum. He also loved the music of George Shearing and Oscar Peterson. He passed on his musical abilities and his great love of music to his family. Max also loved to dance. Max was an incredible dancer. He and Lucille also had a great love of travel. They traveled extensively in Mexico and Europe, especially Graz, Austria, and Germany. Max's greatest gift to us was his devotion. He always stuck by his family. He was supportive, and lived for other people. He was unselfishly loyal to his family. His love for them was unwavering and unconditional. We'll miss him.