OCC religion teacher dies

A teacher at OCC for 39 years, Theodore “Ted” Wall gave students the gift of perspective when it came to religion as the world religions teacher and religious studies department chairman. He died Saturday, June 14 of cancer of the bone marrow. He was 86.

Formerly a minister in the Methodist church for about 20 years, Wall came to OCC in 1969 to teach religion. Over the years, he developed a style that pushed students to learn about various religions from different angles. He would often encourage them to attend two religious services the students previously knew nothing about in order to engage in other cultures.

That assignment stemmed from Wall’s own adventures in religion. In 1980, he went on a three-month long quest to visit churches, shrines, synagogues, temples and mosques across the globe. He brought those experiences back to the classroom for his students to gain insight through.

Wall, a Laguna Beach resident, is survived by his wife of 24 years, Shirley, and six children; Aletha Green, Carolyn Richmond, Stephen Wall, Christine Miller, Susan Bobay, and Stephen Corley, as well as nine grandchildren.

Memorial services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Corona del Mar. There will be a reception following the services at the Newport Beach Marriott Bayview.

DANIEL TEDFORD may be reached at (714) 966-4632 or at daniel.tedford@latimes.com.