PAST GRAND PRYTANIS TED BERESWILL ENTERS CHAPTER ETERNAL

Per Black Book, Chapter XXII, Sec. 2, Second: Death of a Grand Officer. Upon the death of any of the Grand Officers, or of a Past Grand Prytanis, the members of all collegiate chapters shall wear the black ribbon under their badges for a period of 14 days.

Chapter XXII, Sec. 2, Ninth (5): The Fraternity flag shall be displayed alone at half-mast on:
(b) On the death of a Past Grand Prytanis, or Grand Officer.

Note: We recommend 1/4" black ribbon cut into 3.5" strips. Ribbon can be purchased at stores such as Walmart and hobby & craft stores.

It is with great sadness that the Offices of the Grand Chapter announces the passing of Past Grand Prytanis Ted Bereswill. Frater Bereswill entered the chapter eternal on August 13, 2023.

In a declaration regarding Frater Bereswill’s passing, Venerable Grand Prytanis Ryan Vescio, announced, "By the authority vested in me as Grand Prytanis by the Black Book, I declare Tau Kappa Epsilon in a period of mourning in which collegiate members shall wear a black ribbon under their badges for a period of 14 days, beginning August 17, 2023 through August 31, 2023. The Fraternity flag shall be displayed alone at half-mast during the same period."

Upon reflecting on the impact of Frater Ted, the Venerable Grand Prytanis shared, “As Grand Prytanis, I stand on the shoulders of the 52 Fraters who have come before me and served as our Venerable Grand Prytanis. Of those men, Frater Ted became a mentor and close friend who helped me through difficult personal and professional decisions. Although my heart is heavy for his untimely passing, my soul is full for having had such a good Frater in my life. Over the past decade, I have gotten to know Frater Ted’s family, including his wife Kim, his twin daughters Allison and Becky, and I was excited in the future to be introduced to his first grandson Bennett. As Grand Prytanis, Frater Ted’s leadership left a mark on TKE that will last for decades. But for TKE I would have never met Frater Ted, and my life has been forever changed for having done so.”

Frater Bereswill graduated from the University of Texas in 1980. While at Texas, he initiated into the Gamma-Upsilon Chapter of TKE. During his collegiate years, he served in multiple roles including Hegemon and Epiprytanis. Whether a collegiate member, a volunteer, or business leader, Frater Bereswill’s passion for life and the Fraternity was unwavering.

A fellow collegiate member at Gamma-Upsilon alongside Frater Ted was Past Grand Officer Brian Montgomery. In reflecting on his close friend he shared:

“It was TKE at the University of Texas that brought Ted Bereswill and I together more than 40 years ago. We quickly became close friends and brothers—being in each other’s wedding, meeting newborn children, and supporting one another during the loss of a parent. Together with Gamma-Upsilon alumnus Jack Bobbitt, the three of us were always there to lift each other up.

We all need a sense of purpose in our lives and the emotional fulfillment that comes with believing in a cause you can embrace with your whole heart. Frater Ted felt that way about TKE. Today, I have a huge hole in my heart. Words cannot convey the sense of loss I am feeling, but I do take solace in knowing Frater Ted would want all of us to continue the work of improving the Fraternity we all deeply love. Frater Ted -- Please rest peacefully and know your legacy will out live all of us. I miss you my Brother. Please keep Kim and their beautiful daughters Becky and Allison in your prayers.”

In 2013, Frater Bereswill re-engaged with TKE and began his service to the Grand Council shortly thereafter. His guidance during the pandemic was critical to the Fraternity’s growth and success seen today. Frater Bereswill loved presenting at leadership programs and mentoring young men to push themselves to excellence. Additionally, he was paramount in the work to align the leadership of the Fraternity and Foundation over the past year.

TKE Chief Executive Officer Donald E. Aldrich shared:

“I am incredibly shocked and saddened at the passing of Frater Ted Bereswill. I was honored to have Ted in my life as a mentor, a friend, and a passionate Teke. Being a friend and mentee of Ted meant he was always driving you. While he led with a tough exterior, I was one of the lucky few to see how deeply he cared about our Fraternity and how grateful he was for the fantastic relationships he was afforded because of it. I will miss his fast and dry wit, the conversations of what more we could do to achieve excellence, and the constant checking in on my family. Rest easy Frater Ted. You will be sorely missed.”

Outside of TKE, Frater Bereswill served on the Board of Directors for both Star of Hope Mission and The University of Houston College of Technology. Star of Hope, based in Houston, is one of the largest homeless missions in the United States. Nearly five years ago he supported the creation of the Cornerstone Community, a 48-acre transitional housing complex, to aid men, women, and children. Their work included uplifting participants from drug and alcohol use, job placement, and providing a nurturing environment for families to get a fresh start.

In the Fraternity, Frater Bereswill was a Past Grand Prytanis and a Life Loyal Teke. He served as an At-Large member of the Grand Council (2013-2015), two terms as Grand Grammateus (2015-2017, 2017-2019), Grand Epiprytanis (2019-2021) and Grand Prytanis (2021-2022).

Frater Bereswill in his 2021 Spirit of the Fraternity address noted, “You have the opportunity to make your Fraternal experience your own. The Fraternity gives you opportunities to experience failure and success. The road ahead isn't always easy, but remember, you have your brothers there to help you to meet the challenges and work together to greater success.”

Professionally, Frater Bereswill led an esteemed career with more than 32 years of experience in enterprise software sales and management with a number of the top companies in the industry. The majority of his career was spent at Oracle Corporation where his demonstrated track record of delivering superior business results led him to rise to the position of Sr. Vice President of North America Sales. Frater Bereswill simultaneously worked as a White House Presidential Representative in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W Bush.

In his own words, Frater Bereswill shared in the Spring/ Summer edition of THE TEKE's article Goals, Giving, and Gratitude, "You can’t train passion. You have it or you don’t. If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing - get out. Change course - life is too short to be miserable."