Francis Edward Trainor

USA Retired Lt. Col. Francis (Ted) Edward Trainor, 77, of Parrish passed away peacefully on January 2, 2014 after a courageous thirteen month battle with cancer. Ted was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. He was the son of the late Francis (Frank) Edward Trainor and the late Catherine Donnelly Trainor.

After a four year stint in the US Navy, Col. Trainor returned to Massachusetts to study Civil Engineering at Northeastern University, where he served as President of the student council and participated in Army ROTC as a cadet colonel and member of the Elite Scabbard and Blade Drill Team. Upon his graduation in 1962, with a B.S. Degree in Engineering, he accepted a Regular Army commission, pursuing a diverse career path which culminated in a specialization in Southeast Asian affairs. He served several tours in Asia, from Vietnam to Indonesia, and his studies earned him a Masters Degree in International Relations from the University of South Carolina, fluency in Bahasa (Indonesia) from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and certification as a Southeast Asian Specialist from various military institutes. Col. Trainor also served at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta as one of the first area specialists after the Indonesian anti-communist revolution. Col. Trainor took great pride in being an Airborne Ranger in the Army and contributing to the Vietnam War effort with courage.

Ted is survived by his wife Linda, five children—Teresa Trainor, Edward Trainor, Michael (Lori) Trainor, Rhonda Dean) Teachey and Mellissa (Chadi) El Chaar, nine grandchildren—Melinda McCutheon, Adam Trainor, Ronald McCutcheon, Kristie Teachey, Kevin Teachey, Brian Teachey, Brandie Teachey, Lindsey Malone and Daniel Malone, and great-grandchild Nathaniel McCutcheon. Ted is also survived by brother Charles Trainor of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Ted was greeted at heaven’s gate by brothers Gerald Trainor and Daniel Trainor.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00am, Tuesday, January 7th at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Catholic Church, 12001 69th Street, East in Parrish, Florida. A Memorial Service to celebrate Ted’s life will be held on Tuesday at 1:00pm at Groover Funeral Home at Mansion Memorial Park, 1400 36th Avenue, East in Ellenton, with a reception to follow.