Theresa Louise Todd

Theresa ”Teri" Louise Todd, 71, passed away on August 24th, 2025. Teri was born to Howard Michael and Grace Todd on September 4th, 1953, as the second-youngest of six children. Teri went on to develop a love of music, expressing that love through the violin. She played with the Seattle Youth Symphony for several years, then auditioned for “Young Americans in Concert” in fall of 1970. She was accepted and participated in two concert tours of Europe as well as performing at Carnegie Hall.

Teri graduated Cum Laude from the University Washington in 1974, and graduated from Pepperdine University with a Masters in Business Administration in 1984.

In between those years of study, on June 6th, 1981, Teri and James "Jack" Byrd were married.

Later in life, Teri received a calling to ministry, and went on to achieve her Masters of Divinity from Iliff School of Theology in June of 2007. She started her pastoral journey at Parker United Methodist Church in Colorado, and then was called to start a new church in Elizabeth, Colorado. Her focus was on ‘mission’ - to serve others. She carried that out through her connection with The Center for Health and Hope. With them, she travelled to India and Kenya, visiting with those who had been affected by AIDS, either through losing parents or children, or having the disease themselves. Before they even had a church roof over their heads, she and her church family supported a boys school in Kenya and a homeless woman and child in India. To quote Rev. Teri: “Yes, it’s one small family within a vast sea of need. World peace won’t suddenly make its debut. Poverty will still be endemic in this corner of the world. And diseases won’t vanish into thin air. But what the heck, let’s do it anyway. It’s just the sort of uncertain, subversive, countercultural, outrageous love that shook Calvary, defeated death, and stormed back on wings of fire. Do we have that same passion in us that resurrects hope out of despair?”

On her retirement in 2021, Teri moved back to Washington where she grew up. Teri loved her family and her congregation deeply and will be deeply missed. Teri loved music, animals, gardening, and not wearing shoes. She is preceded in death by her husband, Jack, and survived by her two children, Braaden and Lia. Celebrations of life will be held at Parker United Methodist Church, CO on October 11th, 2025, at 12pm, and at St Barnabas Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island, WA on Nov 1, 2025 at 2:00 pm. Both services are planned to be live streamed.

Remembrances can be sent to The Center For Health and Hope (https://www.centerforhealthandhope.org/)

Arrangements entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA