Funeral services were held on 04/07/23 at Christian Fellowship Church, with a burial following at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Final arrangements were entrusted to Anderson Ragsdale Mortuary.
Theophilus Alonzo Logan was born April 30, 1917, in Lima, Oklahoma, to Jerome Henry Logan and Mary “Mollie” Logan. “Theo” graduated from Douglass High School in Wewoka, Oklahoma, and received a BA in Liberal Arts (1939) from Lincoln University, Pennsylvania.
Moving to San Diego, California, he worked as a social worker until drafted into a segregated Army (1942). Thereafter, he attended the Infantry Officers Candidate School in Fort Benning, Georgia, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. He served several tours of foreign duty and as an Assistant Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Lincoln University, Missouri. After 20 years, Major Logan retired, having received numerous awards, including the fourth highest ranking award, a Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, in World War II and Korean Conflict.
Theo’s second career was in real estate. In 1965, he established Logan Realty, which became a landmark in the Southeast Community. He joined the San Diego Association of Realtors, becoming the first African American member, serving terms as a local, state, and national director. Theo was elected the first African American President of the Association in 1978.
Theo focused on securing homeownership for the African American and Hispanic American
communities, during “redlining” when traditional banks refused loans to people of color. He fought to secure FHA and VA loans to expand housing opportunities.
As an 87-year member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Theo was active in the San Diego Alumni Chapter and was also a member of Christian Fellowship Congregational Church, UCC. In 2011, he and his wife, Martha, were recognized by KPBS and Union Bank as the Local Hero. He was a recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human Dignity Award (January 2022).
Theo passed March 16, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, his children, and a host of family members.
