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<em>Theodore John Altier </em>was bom to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Altier in Rochester, NY, where he attended Benjamin Franklin High School and spent two years at the University of Rochester. In 1941, "Ted" received an appointment to the Academy.</p>
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A classmate wrote: Ted "is a considerable man; blessed with a name like Altier, he headed every Cadet Store queue during Beast Barracks, and he maintained that standing in his classmates’ opinion. He wasn’t loaded with the conventional hallmarks of success-stars, stripes, as for the more fundamental qualities of dependability, balance, wholesomeness, and an enlightened sense of humor need no such embellishments." Ted was his company’s honor representative.</p>
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After graduation, Ted joined the 232rd Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division, and sailed for Europe. After fierce combat, he was wounded and captured during the German drive into the Vosges Mountains in January 1945. With the war’s end, Ted was liberated and returned to the States. In December 1945, he joined the Counterintelligence Corps and served in Germany until 1949. On 18 Jan 1947, he married Betty Jane Read in Bad Nauheim, with several classmates in attendance. Their union produced three children: Michael John, Thomas Read, and Jane Elizabeth.</p>
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Ted’s next assignment was the 2nd Infantry Division, Ft. Lewis a tour which would be cut short. With the unexpected death of his father, who founded and ran a shoe store, Ted was confronted with a dilemma: stay in the Army or take over the business. He opted for the latter and, in 1950, resigned as a captain and returned home to begin a wide-ranging civilian career during which he and his brother, Richard, operated up to 39 stores across upstate New York. The chain was the largest independent shoe chain in the Northeast.</p>
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Ted also held assignments in the Ready Reserve, ending that career as G-3 of a division. He also was a participant in the business and civic worlds of Rochester, serving as director, board member, or trustee in the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, National Shoe Retailers Association, Rochester Gas and Electric, Greater Rochester YMCA, and eleven other organizations.</p>
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Ted and Betty enriched their lives by volunteering. Among their many interests were the revitalization of downtown Rochester, the Rochester Philharmonic, and the Rochester Institute of Technology. Ted also studied French and Italian. Years later, he and Betty traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe, including Russia. They married their passions for education and traveling, utilizing Elderhostel programs. Betty taught him to enjoy classical music, in addition to the jazz he liked. As Ted later put it, "We are happy and relatively healthy. Our three children and their families are thriving, and we have absolutely brilliant grandchildren we’ve adopted the philosophy that we should continue to do the things we really enjoy and, when we can, do the things we missed the first time around."</p>
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Ted is survived by Betty, their three children, and five grandchildren. His honors include: Combat Infantryman Badge, Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Rochester Chamber of Commerce’s Civic Medal, and Brighton Rotary Citizen of the Year Award.</p>