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Ted Strauss, Dallas Philanthropist And Banker, Dies At 89

Kristina Bowman
Ted Strauss signs a commemorative stagehouse panel for Annette Strauss Square in 2010.

Ted Strauss, the well-known Dallas banker and philanthropist, died this morning. He was 89.

Strauss was responsible for several Texas businesses and banks over the years. He made a $1 million donation to the AT&T Performing Arts Center in 2004. 

He died of natural causes, The Dallas Morning News reports.

“Ted had a deep sense of compassion and service to the community,” Matrice Ellis-Kirk, chair elect of the AT&T Performing Arts Center’s Board of Directors and a longtime friend of Strauss, said in a statement. “Whether advocating for the arts, serving the homeless or any other number of civic efforts – the Strauss family has truly helped shape the Dallas that we are today.”

Strauss was married to Dallas’ first woman mayor, Annette Strauss.

His brother died about six months ago. Robert Strauss was a former chairman of the Democratic Party and an ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Former KERA staffer Krystina Martinez was an assistant producer. She produced local content for Morning Edition and KERANews.org. She also produced The Friday Conversation, a weekly series of conversations with North Texas newsmakers. Krystina was also the backup newscaster for the Texas Standard.