Theodore Joe Karlick

Theodore Joe Karlick was born March 18, 1928, the youngest of six children, in Bedford, TX. At the time of his birth, he was so small the doctor did not believe he would survive the night, so no birth certificate was issued. Not only did Ted survive, but he grew to be six feet tall, sturdy and strong. When enlisting in the military, Ted’s parents were able to find the doctor who had delivered him and have a birth certificate issued.

Ted’s parents were Frantisek (Frank) Karlicek and Josefa (Josephine) Vesely. Both immigrants from the Bohemia region of Czechoslovakia, they met and married near Chicago, Il. Frank had worked in coal mines and as a cabinet maker as a young man which caused him health issues. To find a better life and a healthier environment, Frank and Josephine relocated to Bedford, TX and began to farm.

Ted was born on the farm. His early years were marked by the Great Depression. The family struggled to raise crops and cattle during that time, often having very little to eat. As time went on and the Depression eased, they grew more successful in their agricultural endeavors. Ted’s earliest memories were farming. He learned to grow vegetables and melons, take care of cattle and to be resourceful in all his ventures. Those years developed a work ethic that followed him throughout his life. While his kids were young, Ted often worked an extra job to make sure his wife could be home with the kids.

His childhood memories of standing in the fields and watching airplanes fly overhead birthed a life-long love of aviation. Ted knew that his future would involve airplanes. Upon graduating high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Force. Following basic training Ted was stationed overseas. He served as a flight engineer in the Berlin Airlift and was very proud of his service. Though he did not often talk about his years in the Army Air Corp, if a person asked, Ted had many stories to tell.

After leaving the Army Air Corp, Ted attended Gillette Instrument School in Texas where he learned to repair cockpit instruments. During that time Ted also earned a private pilot’s license and an instrument rating. Upon completing his training at Gillette, Ted was hired by Alaska Airlines and moved to Anchorage, Alaska. He roomed for a time with his brother, Albert, who was working for the weather service in Alaska. Ted made many friends during his early years in Alaska, some of whom were bush pilots. For several years Ted enjoyed flying with them on hunting and fishing expeditions.

Ted was known for taking pictures of the outdoors, animals, people, and whatever else he could find. A poem written by a friend and inscribed on a mug started with this line: “Pete, who is sometimes known as Ted, aims his camera at everyone’s head. Moose and deer and glaciers wide, all end up on a colored slide…” Ted’s slide collection eventually filled many carousels and slide boxes. A favorite family activity in later years was setting up the screen, showing slides, and hearing the stories of the people and the adventures that went along with them.

It was in Alaska that Ted was introduced to Vanita Collins, herself an Air Force veteran. He would marry her in 1954. Their first child, Rozanne, was born in 1955. At that time Ted chose to give up flying small aircraft. He took his job as dad very seriously. A second child, Nathan, was born in 1957. Soon after, Ted was transferred to Seattle with Alaska Airlines. The family moved to Alderwood Manor, Washington. In 1960 Ted and Vanita welcomed their third child, Natalie.

Ted’s love for the outdoors followed him all his life. He passed that love on to his children, taking them camping and hiking from their early years. Family road trips and camping trips became the staple. Many funny family stories would be told about camping mishaps, favorite places, the dog falling out of the tent trailer, etc. All three children played musical instruments, and Ted was found at every concert. As long as the band played at least one march per concert, he deemed it a good one. Ted served as a Boy Scout troop leader during Nathan’s scout years, a volunteer on hikes with the kid’s Alpine Club outings, and chauffer for various school activities.

He was very proud of his three children and was determined that they should learn to be self-sufficient. In a time when there were definite ‘girl’ things and ‘boy’ things, he made sure his girls knew how to change the tires on their cars and change their own oil. As they grew up, both Rozanne and Natalie were grateful for being taught these car basics.

His love for gardening included growing vegetables and berries. Ted’s garden produce was the talk and envy of the neighborhood. Rozanne still remembers the year she and her mom put up 100 quarts of pickles from the huge cucumber crop. They ate those pickles for years. While growing vegetables was something Ted did well, he was also well-known for his flowers, especially his dahlias. He managed to grow some varieties of dahlias whose heads were nearly the size of dinner plates. No one could match his green thumb. Even though Ted grew amazing flowers, he had one time a year when he purchased them. He always gave his wife, Vanita, lilies at Easter. Eventually the lily bulbs were planted in his garden.

Ted loved oysters, so many trips were made to low-tide areas along Puget Sound to gather the shellfish. He once put oysters into his rubber glove to transport them and promptly forgot about it until months later when the shed in the backyard exhibited a nauseating odor. Needless to say, the gloves were not salvageable!

Ted’s career in the airline industry continued his entire life. He always had miscellaneous cockpit instruments at home. The joke was that we always knew our altitude because an altimeter was installed on the dashboard of our car. While other families went to movies, Ted took his kids to the airport and entertained them by naming the type of aircraft coming in just by the sound of the engine. For Rozanne, the blue lights of the airstrip always bring back memories of those times.

As the airline industry advanced and cockpit instruments went from analog to digital, Ted became something of a legend for his ability to fix the aging instruments. He spent several weeks in London, England, training technicians to repair those instruments. Many times, he was flown to California to repair instruments. When Ted’s time at Alaska Airlines came to an end he went to work for the Bendix Corporation and later Collins Avionics, now part of Rockwell International.

In 1991 Vanita passed away and Ted decided to retire. To get himself back into the social scene Ted took ballroom dance lessons and spent many a weekend dancing at the local Eagle’s Club. He and a friend began to travel together. They took a cruise through the Panama Canal one year and were a hit with the ladies ~ two men who could dance. He said they never sat down during the entire evening.

Ted’s family now included his three children, their spouses and four of his eventual seven grandchildren. Time with his grown children and their families was important to him, but he also wanted his own companionship. Ted met Pat Storms through a mix-and-mingle group. They married in 1996 and Ted became stepfather to ten.

On January 1, 2026, Ted passed away, 2 ½ months shy of his 98th birthday. Part of Ted's longevity was his walking routine. He began walking for exercise in his 50's and rarely missed a day. Rain or shine, he walked to Mill Creek and back, a five-mile round trip from his house (this was before watches tracked your steps and gave you coaching)! He continued this until his mid 90's, shortening the route but keeping the healthy habit. On one walk, a woman who was driving by stopped and said she had to say hello. She'd seen him walk since she was a child and had to meet the "walking man." The story and the nickname made him smile. Ted’s walks also netted him many treasures. He found things along the side of the road ranging from coins to watches and tools. He never let a ‘find’ go to waste but carried it back home.

Ted was dearly loved by his children, Rozanne (Larry), Nathan (Jennifer), and Natalie (Mark); his grandchildren Kristopher (Gena), Jeffrey, Benjamin, Victoria (James), Ryan, Madeline and Anna. He also had seven great grandchildren: Hunter, Haley, Gracie, Laney and Jackson (Kristopher) and Claire and Holly (Victoria). Ted’s legacy lives on through them. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vanita, of 37 years and his five older siblings, Fred, Frank, Jr, Lillian, Mildred and Albert.

He also leaves his second wife, Pat and her children: Dale (Ana), Jill (Rich), Alice (Jon), Sandra (Butch), LeAnn (Vaughn), Joe (Tracy), Monte, Jeff, Laura and Tanya as well as 16 step-grandchildren and 14 step-great-grandchildren.

Interment will be at Floral Hills in Bothell, WA with military honors.