Pictured above: Teresa Motz
Teresa Motz lived with a deep belief that life was meant to be lived with purpose, joy and connection. Hard-working, courageous and joyfully unconventional, she brought people together through laughter, friendship, food, music, dance and shared human experience.
Above all, Teresa believed in loving people — treating every person with dignity, respect and faith in their potential.
“She wanted to swaddle people in the comforts of home,” her sister Jean said. “Whether assembling dish kits for individuals moving into independent housing or bringing dozens of pies to community meals, Teresa believed small, practical acts could preserve dignity and belonging.”
Raised on a family farm outside Cincinnati as the second oldest of eight children, Teresa learned early the values that would shape every chapter of her life: responsibility, perseverance, ingenuity and independence. Those farm values fueled an extraordinary professional path. After earning bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics, she began her career at an aircraft engine manufacturer, where at just age 25 she co-invented an optical inspection device. She later earned a master’s degree in optical engineering from the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics and went on to work as an optical engineer in the Finger Lakes region.
Teresa’s work continues to touch daily life around the world. Her innovations advanced endoscopic imaging and barcode scanning technologies now used in health care, air travel and everyday commerce. She authored professional publications, contributed to international optical standards and earned multiple patents. Even in highly technical spaces, her family recalls, Teresa consistently asked how systems could better serve people — especially those who are vulnerable or too often overlooked.
Later in life, a series of serious accidents and inadequate recovery resources dramatically altered Teresa’s physical abilities and outlook. From that lived experience emerged a new mission rooted in trauma awareness, recovery and hope. She became a passionate advocate for integrated, person-centered support that connects body, mind and spirit — and for language that affirms dignity rather than limitation.
She coined the term “diff-abled,” reframing disability as difference rather than deficit, and believed deeply in the resilience of those navigating illness, trauma or changed capacity. That philosophy guided her tireless community engagement — from collaborating with hospitals, educators and service providers to organizing community dances, performing original music and comedy, assembling hygiene and household kits, and creating inclusive spaces for art, movement and dialogue.
Before her death in 2024 at age 65, Teresa made plans to ensure that her work would continue. Through a legacy gift to the Central New York Community Foundation, she established the Hope and Healing Through Empowering Support (HAHTES) Fund — a field-of-interest fund supporting nonprofits and programs that serve people in Cayuga County, with a focus on individuals with physical or psychological challenges when recovering from traumatic life events.
Through the Community Foundation’s grantmaking, Teresa’s vision lives on: inviting collaboration, elevating those in need of support, and daring communities to make a meaningful difference — together.
“Through this fund, her compassion, creativity and belief in people will continue,” her family said.
