Theresa Kathleen Quintanilla, 68, passed away on September 28, 2026, after a valiant fight with pancreatic cancer.

Born July 20, 1958, in Ft. Worth, Texas, Theresa was the daughter of Florence Elizabeth “Betsy” Wood and her husband Bee Eugene Landrum, an aspiring newspaperman and a Navy veteran of WW2. The Landrum family moved often during Theresa’s youth, following the career path of her father as he gained experience in the weekly newspaper business. The family eventually settled in Fort Bend County, where Theresa’s dad became editor and publisher of the Fort Bend Mirror.

Theresa was exceedingly smart and competitive too, always excelling academically in school. At Dulles High School in Sugar Land, she competed in Prep Bowl and was a member of the mathematics, Spanish, and National Honor Societies, graduating as salutatorian of the Dulles class of 1976. She graduated with honors from Texas Christian University in 1980, then went on to do graduate work at the University of Chicago before earning a Master of Business Administration in 1984 from Columbia University in New York.

She met the love of her life, Tony, in 1979 while at TCU. They married in Houston on August 15, 1981, and promptly headed to New York City where Tony’s professional career was about to begin. For two working class Texas kids, living in New York was a special adventure. The call of home brought the couple back to Texas in 1984, where Theresa joined Ogilvy & Mather’s Houston office on a team that provided advertising and marketing support to Compaq Computer. Her work there launched a long and rewarding career as a marketing executive and consultant.

An art history major at TCU, Theresa had a life-long love for the visual arts and was an avid supporter of Houston’s arts community. Although her days as a resident had passed, she always loved the energy, arts and cultural attractions of New York City and frequently visited throughout her life.

While she had many personal and professional interests, all took a back seat to her family. She was a wonderful mom to her two cherished kids, son Max and daughter Alex Ann, and provided them with a lifetime of unconditional love and support. When her mother Betsy was stricken by Alzheimer’s, Theresa rolled back her own business so that she could devote countless hours to the caretaking needs that allowed her mom to live out her final days within her own home. When family called, Theresa was always there to answer.

Theresa is survived by Tony, her beloved husband of 45 years, her son Max and his wife Paola Diaz, daughter Alex Ann, and her brothers Mark and Tom Landrum.

She was the heart and soul of our family, and she will be missed terribly by all.

A remembrance gathering for Theresa will be held at Integrity Funeral Care on Monday, October 5, 2026, from 10:30am until 1:30pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Theresa’s honor be made to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation or the Lustgarten Foundation.