April 14, 1919 – March 5, 2017
Jack Andrew Teufel died in the hands of “his own,” — three firefighters from Malibu. His heart gave out while traveling ocean side in Malibu, a place he called home for 25 years.
Jack was born in Chicago to Minnie Lutz and Andrew Teufel. The older of two boys, he watched over his brother Richard, who was six years younger. “Those qualities stayed engrained in him, as did his love for pastrami sandwiches and pickles, which go back to his teenage years working for a Jewish pharmacist,” a loved one shared. “Jack was not fond of the Chicago winters that were, in his words, ‘Damn cold.’”
Jack joined the Army in 1943 and served as a captain during WWII, stationed in England. Jack was promoted from enlisted man to officer.
One afternoon in 1944, a young woman named Toni was driving up to her family’s cabin in Crestline with her sister, Beverly, when they spotted a hitchhiker in uniform. The hitchhiker Toni and Beverly picked up this particular day was Jack.
The courtship between Toni and Jack began shortly thereafter, and it was not long before they married, on July 2, 1945. Richard, their oldest, was born in 1946 and Robert in 1952. They eventually moved from Hollywood to Van Nuys to be near Toni’s family. In 1948, Jack joined the fire department and for 20 years was stationed at Engine Company No. 82 in Hollywood.
“Jack was very proud of being a fireman,” a loved one shared. “They were one big family and played practical jokes on each other.”
In 1964, Jack helped his father-in-law start Walter Allen Plant Rentals, across from Paramount Studios.
Jack and Walter enjoyed the benefits of their thriving Hollywood business, which eventually was taken over by Jack and his brother-in-law, Bob Rippey, and sold in 1988 — but Jack stayed on with the new owner until retiring in 1993. In 1994, Jack and Toni moved to Malibu.
“For Jack, retiring from Walter Allen meant more time to be devoted to the one thing that was more important to him than anything — his family and Toni,” a loved one said.
A memorial will be held at noon on Saturday, April 15 at Las Flores Creek Park, which was previously owned by the Teufel Family from 1973-1994. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jack’s name to the Fireman’s Relief Association.