Henry "Ted" Ziegler

Henry T. Ziegler IV “Ted”, 73 of Orange Park, passed away January 6, 2011 at Northeast Florida Community Hospice, Jacksonville, Florida with his loving family by his side. He fought a long and valiant battle with prostate cancer and dementia.

In response to his last wishes, Ted and family spent a week of his final days in St. Croix where he left his heart after creating unique buildings there for 15 yrs. Ted was born in Chicago on June 4, 1937.It was there in Lake Michigan where his love of sailing began and continued throughout his life in the Caribbean.. He proudly held a Captain’s license and he and Judy cruised many of the islands of the Lesser Antilles.

After serving in the United States Army in 1956, he became an electrical engineer. Several of his lighting designs won awards, one of which was the Old Town Shopping Center and Amusement Park in Bollingbrook, Illinois.

Being the ultimate entrepreneur with a love of folk music, he, in partnership with his brother-in-law, designed and opened a coffee house, “The Know Where,” in Joliet, Illinois, which featured such entertainers as Judy Collins and Jose Feliciano. It was named the first contemporary folk theater in the nation. He also designed and managed an English style pub decorated in 16th century atmosphere, “The Bull & Bush,” also in Joliet. It’s originality along with Al Capone’s bar and license #1 attracted the attention of Time Magazine in 1962.

In 1976, after many years of ice and snow, he was drawn to St Thomas home of his brother and sister. There he supervised the construction of the Reichhold Center for the Performing Arts at the University of the Virgin Islands. Many of his friends in St. Thomas included recovering alcoholics in AA whom he loved and sponsored.

Ted courted and married Judy Ford-Burkey in St. Thomas. Judy became his secretary, partner, and first mate for 29 exciting years. Captain Ted and Judy pulled up anchor in St. Thomas and sailed the Caribbean. Upon sailing into the harbor of beautiful St. Croix Ted announced, “This is where I want to live.”

The two became “land lubbers” and founded Caribbean Construction Services on St. Croix. Then joined by his son Chris and later Dan, he started the first of his signature West Indian style buildings. Two of Ted’s building projects were featured in Architectural Digest magazine. His favorite endeavor was the historic restoration of Cane Garden Plantation on the island’s South Shore. It was entered into the National Historic Registry. Many of the talented local craftsmen who contributed to his company’s success were mentored by Ted and started their own businesses.

Ted was president of the board of Island Center 1986/87 season. Ted and his partner in their Spyglass Hill development located above Christiansted, St. Croix donated a plot of Spyglass Hill land to Island Center.

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Hurricane Hugo devastated the island of St. Croix in 1989 and after years of restoring the storm damaged island the Zieglers moved to Jacksonville where he made new friends in AA.

Ted fulfilled one more of his dreams in 1988, that of transforming a barn into a house. That fulfillment started with an old Pennsylvania barn with notched oak timbers made by the Amish in a traditional barn raising over a century ago. The farm included 2 old horses, 1 raggedy dog, an underground springhouse, and a log cabin farmhouse with signs of an Indian/settler skirmish. That old “bank” barn, surrounded by a cornfield and curious Amish and Mennonite neighbor farmers, became a beautiful estate complete with a fish filled pond with weeping willows and named Irish Creek Farm.

Ted’s life goal was to die sober and be surrounded by the love of his children. He recently celebrated 35 years of sobriety, and God and his children’s love surround him. He reached his goal.

His father, Henry T. Ziegler III, an inventor and poet, preceded Ted in death. Survivors in his big Italian family include his mother Frances Falone Ziegler of Venice, Florida who will celebrate her 100th birthday in July, devoted wife and partner Judy Ford-Burkey-Ziegler, devoted daughters Lisa Capper (Mark) CA, Denise Witt (Neal) VA, Julie Elms (Rob) VA, Rebecca Minnix (David) VA, loving sons Christopher Ziegler (Angela) Jacksonville, FL, Henry “Tim” Ziegler (Lisa) FL, Daniel Ziegler (Victoria) VA, two step children Jeff Burkey, Jacksonville, FL, Jodie Heydt (John), PA, loving mother of his 7 children Marge Tippee (Edwin) VA, sisters Ann Coyne, Mary Fran Ziegler (Dent Davis), brother Thomas Ziegler, 16 amazing grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of his life will be held 1:00 PM January 15, 2011 at West Side Chapel 4541 Shirley Ave., Jacksonville, FL 32210. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to your favorite animal shelter or Northeast Florida Community Hospice if you wish.