Ted and his sister Elaine were the children born and raised by his parents, Max and Rose (neé Small), in Cambridge, MA. He grew into a handsome man with baby-blue eyes and a teasing sense of humor, yet endearingly humble and modest as he made his way through his life. As a young man, he proudly served as a Marine and rose to the level of Lance Corporal in the few years that he wore his uniform, and the honor and integrity that he learned as the son of Max and Rose was firmly cemented during his brief tenure in the military.
After serving, Ted returned to help his father with the family business and when the Kyett Oil Company was sold to Atlas Oil, he began his longstanding career as a Contract Carrier, delivering home heating fuel throughout the greater Boston area. It was hard work, requiring him to leave the house at 2 a.m. and work through the day, not returning home until night, close to 7 p.m. and then it was eat dinner, sleep a few hours, and do it again, six days a week, 10 months a year.
He took great pride and enjoyment in his family and in his horses that he eventually housed in a barn he built in his backyard while taking a month off as his summer vacation. He loved his wife, Gayle, dearly and completely, and the relationships he had with his eldest daughter, Laura (from his first marriage), and his youngest daughter, Jennifer, were treasured by them both. His standards were always high for them, but never as demanding and tough as the ones he set for himself. His family always knew his love and he made sure that they were never wanting and always special to him. Through Laura he was also blessed with two loving granddaughters, Erica and Daena, who were asked the same question by their grandfather that he always asked his own daughters…”How does it feel to be smart and beautiful?”
Whether it was how he interacted with people every day or on the job as a coworker, the way he conducted himself was simple: Do your best every day, give your all, take pride in all that you do. He was known to everyone around him to be a man of integrity, honor, ethics and courtesy. He would always do the right thing at the right time, for the right reason.
Ted passed after a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia, and he gave this cold and cruel disease the kind of battle that only a Marine could give. On good days, he would usually manage a moment or two to slip in a one-liner, despite being robbed of his ability to walk or be clear of mind. He never, ever complained in his life, healthy or ill. He remains an example of strength and character, and his parting leaves a hole in his family’s life that they will seek to fill with special, unique and loving memories of the best man to have ever graced their lives.
A funeral service for Ted will be held on Friday, August 9th, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 475 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021. Interment will follow at Blue Hill Cemetery, 700 West Street, Braintree, MA. 02184
Memorial observance will be held at his late residence following interment until 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047.
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