Theodore Edward Drish

Theodore Edward “Ted” Drish was born on January 23, 1941, in Washington, Iowa, and grew up in Brighton. Ted attended Iowa State Teacher’s College (now the University of Northern Iowa) for a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. He later studied at Washington State University and Oklahoma State University. He taught physics at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, for many years. He was a creative and innovative teacher who inspired countless students, and was known for coordinating the toothpick bridge building competition.

After Ted retired from teaching, he began bartending part-time at the 5x80 Country Club in Menlo, Iowa, where he made many new friends. He later moved to Greenfield, Iowa and then to Sedona, Arizona, to be closer to daughter Amy and her family. Ted lived independently until 2020 when he moved to Granite Gate Senior Living in Prescott, Arizona. In 2021 he made his home at Las Fuentes Resort Village and valued the community and the friends he made there.

Ted enjoyed telling stories; watching football and golf, all of the Hallmark Christmas movies, and spy movies; reading Western novels; gardening; good Scotch; and traveling. He was an avid golfer and learned to ski as an adult.

Ted was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Adeline Drish of Brighton, Iowa, and his infant daughter, Andrea Jill, and is survived by his daughters, Amy Montgomery of Prescott, Arizona, and Allison Drish of Austin, Texas; son-in-law, Ty Montgomery; sister, Mary Kiefer of Davenport, Iowa; brother-in-law, Carl Kiefer; his grandchildren Piper Montgomery, Megan Montgomery, Claire Montgomery, and Benjamin Alvarado; nephews Tom Kiefer, Matt Kiefer, Dan Kiefer; niece Julie Gacnik; and the countless friends he made along the way everywhere he went.