Funeral service for Maj (Retired) E. Theodore "Ted" Lechner will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 17, 2023, at St. John Lutheran Church, Lawton, Oklahoma with Rev. Dr. Bill Schneider, Pastor, officiating.

Burial, with full military honors will be 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at Highland Cemetery in Winfield, Kansas.

The family will greet friends Sunday, July 16, 2023, from 5-7 p.m. at Becker-Rabon Funeral Home in Lawton.

The service may be viewed by following the livestream link at www.beckerfuneral.com or by visiting the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Facebook page.

He was diagnosed with dementia in 2019 and succumbed to that condition on Saturday evening, July 8, 2023.

Emil Theodore "Ted" Lechner, 82, was born to the late Reverend Emil H. Lechner and the late Mildred (nee Otte) Lechner on January 25, 1941, in Blackwell, Oklahoma, where his father was the Lutheran pastor.

Ted moved from Blackwell, Oklahoma, with his father and mother and older sister Mildred ("Mitzi") to Arkansas City, Kansas, in the 1950's so his father could serve as pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Ted graduated from Arkansas City High School and was accepted into the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point. He completed his studies there and graduated in 1964. Following that, he attended the Air Force Academy for further training before receiving his commission into the US Air Force.

After being commissioned, Ted was deployed to Vietnam, where he served as an intelligence officer for two tours of duty. Upon completing his active-duty service, he transitioned to the Air Force Reserves and eventually retired with the rank of Major.

Following his military career, Ted worked as a contractor in Saudi Arabia for several years. During this time, he decided to pursue further education and obtained a Doctorate in Literature from Rice University. Subsequently, he briefly taught literature at the University of South Carolina.

He was a writer, traveler, and scholar - a highly intelligent man - who spent many periods of time in New Harmony, Indiana, writing. In addition to New Harmony, he was granted a stay at Yaddo in New York. His travels outside the United States took him to Switzerland, Spain, India, and Thailand.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his older sister, "Mitzi" (née Lechner) Laxton, and younger sister, Kimberly ("Kim") Lechner.

He is survived by 25 maternal first cousins.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to St. John Lutheran Church, 102 SW 7th Street, Lawton, OK 73501.