Theodore "Tayo" Fichtl

Theodore "Tayo" Fichtl, husband, father, brother and son, passed away suddenly on June 25, 2009. At the time of his passing Tayo was CEO of Edmond Medical Center, Edmond, Okla.Tayo was born to Sonja (Sunny) S. and Theodore (Ted) C. Fichtl in Stuttgart, Germany on November 26, 1965. He was an Army kid whose unusual name came to be because, among his relatives in Germany, the informal for Theodore was Theo, pronounced "Ta-yo," not "Ted" as is common in America. Tayo traveled the world until 1982 when the family settled in Sierra Vista, Ariz. He was a member of Sierra Vista Evangelical Lutheran Church, and graduated from Buena High School. He earned degrees in Psychology and Marketing from the University of Arizona. He served as a Second Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, 108th Field Artillery of the Arizona Army National Guard. Later, he completed his Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. Tayo became a health care administrator and served in a variety of positions in healthcare organizations throughout Arizona, Colorado and Texas. He was recently named Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, which denotes great achievement and character among those choosing to work in this demanding field. His profession took him to Denver, Colo. where he met and married his wife Renee, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs Denny Chalus, on October 28, 2000.Tayo had a capacity for life that was as embracing as his laugh. He was a huge University of Arizona fan and maintained a passion for the Denver Broncos. Although relatively new to Edmond, Tayo and his family loved the warm and gracious people, the medical center, his employees there, and the wonderful mid-west lifestyle. Tayo was one of God's special people. Wherever he went, whatever he was doing, with whomever he interacted, his kindness, humanity, and love of God shone through and touched people's lives. To Renee, he was a loving partner, and to his two daughters, "his girls," he was the world's best daddy. He will be painfully missed. Tayo is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, and his maternal grandmother. He is survived by his wife, Renee, and two daughters, Julianna (6), Mallory (eternally 4), his loving sister Erin Fichtl Lelio and her husband Jim of Houston, Texas, his parents Ted and Sunny Fichtl of Sierra Vista, Arizona, his maternal grandfather, Norman Hooker of Sierra Vista, Arizona, and his four nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held 10 am Thursday, July 2, 2009 at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond.  He will be interred in Denver, Colo. later in July. The family requests memorials be made to the Fichtl Children Education Fund, c/o Edmond Medical Center, 1 S. Bryant, Edmond, Okla. 73034. Funeral services under the direction of Matthews Funeral Home Edmond, Okla.