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A college diploma had been one honor that evaded Ted Thoeny, but on May 31, at the age of 90, he finally achieved his goal: He was presented with his degree in Studio Arts by Superintendent Dr. Pedro Avila at Gavilan College, becoming the oldest graduate in the school’s history.
“It feels great,” said Thoeny, who lives in the historic San Justo School outside San Juan Bautista. “And it is about time, too. I really enjoyed it a lot, met a lot of nice people and had some really helpful teachers.”
There are a lot of other feathers in Thoeny’s cap already. Former city engineer for Salinas and Morgan Hill. Former vice-president of the San Benito Resource Conservation District. Former member of the San Juan Bautista Historic Resources Board. Lifetime member of the San Benito County Historical Society. Architect and owner of Thoni Thermal Homes.
But the diploma he earned from Gavilan is his first since 1951, when he graduated from Los Gatos High School.
Thoeny began his quest for a degree when he entered Stanford University in 1951, but his studies were cut short when he went with his mother to South America.
“I went to school for almost a year,” he said, “and then she got mad at my father and moved. I wasn’t doing that well anyway—I spent most of my time horseback riding or at a beer joint called Rosati’s.”
Returning to the United States in 1955, Thoeny worked to complete his schoolwork at San Mateo Junior College but fell short just before graduation. “Just before finals, I got sciatica,” he said. “It cripples you, and I couldn’t get out of bed except to crawl to the bathroom.”
Having become interested in civil engineering, he joined his father’s construction company, working in Mountain View and Martinez. From there, he built a career in the field, designing roads and sewer systems in Seaside, working in Santa Cruz County on underground telephone, sewer and water lines, and public works in Morgan Hill.
Moving to San Benito County, Thoeny continued in construction, building the office/apartment building at the corner of Muckelmi and Fourth Street in San Juan Bautista and experimenting with catenary roof structures—domes made with fiberglass and reinforced with polyurethane foam or fiber cement—earning four patents along the way.
His move towards graduation began with his taking art classes at Monterey Peninsula, Harnell and Gavilan colleges before he finally looked into what he would need to finish his degree.
“I checked with Gavilan, and they told me I had to take classes like US History and economics,” he said. “So I prioritized those while still taking art classes.”
Thoeny’s daughter, Melissa Thoeny, who was present at the graduation, said she was impressed by his perseverance.
“He has always been curious,” she said. “He’s always doing something, and it’s just weird to me that he never got a degree, because he’s had a lifetime of careers. But he is amazing, and nothing he does ever surprises me. That’s just how he is.”
Still Having Fun
According to Gavilan College Site Director Judy B. Rodriguez, Ted stood out as a student because of his hard work and his cheerful dedication.
“For being 90 years old,” she said, “he definitely leads the way for many of us to follow in his footsteps. He was very studious and always did his work with a smile. It’s wonderful that he is still interested in education and improving himself.”
Thoeny’s son, Ansel Theony, who was also at the graduation, said that while it was nice to see his father recognized, Ted seemed to take the whole thing in stride.
“He just kind of rolled into it like everything he does,” he said. “He decided about three semesters ago that he wanted to get an end result for all the schooling. My dad’s smart, and for him, it is just a matter of making a decision.”
As for Ted, he has already enrolled in his summer courses, where he will be studying astronomy, an interest he has had since buying his first telescope a few months ago, while he takes more art classes and keeps up with a local photography club.
“I think that if his mind is made up on something, he can do it,” Ansel said. “His life motto has always been, ‘Just have fun.’”
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