Theodore "Ted" Earl Wienstroer

Born Theodore Earl Wienstroer, on November 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Mich., Ted passed away peacefully on August 25, 2024, at KC Hospice House in Kansas City, MO, after a nearly five-month-long battle with brain cancer. He was 73 years old.

Although Ted’s earlier years were beset with misfortune, his is an inspiring story of courage, perseverance, and triumph. His family was disrupted by many moves; at the age of 11, Ted lost his mother to a brain aneurysm. Because of his often neglectful or absent father, Ted and his brothers were in foster care. And at 23-months of age, Ted was afflicted with polio, which withered one leg and subjected him to multiple operations by the time he was six years old. At age 14, he was a passenger on a friend’s scooter that was hit by a car. He spent over six weeks in the hospital, and it forever affected that leg. By age 18, he was on his own, but he tried out several diverse occupations, which included restaurant work, a car wash, a hospital orderly, paint factory worker, and motorcycle assembler. But it was as a jeweler that Ted most identified professionally until at age 43 he was struck with post-polio syndrome. Its severity and effect on his arms and hands, as well as his already-damaged legs, forced him to leave the profession. It also caused him to rely often on a wheelchair, although he retained some ability to walk short distances throughout the rest of his life. However, Ted always said his most favorite job was “taking care of our kids!” One of his proudest accomplishments was when he was able to walk his daughter, Ashley, down the aisle when she married James Morris in 2009. But Ted never let misfortune define him. Instead, he was a gentle man who built an honorable life characterized by diverse interests, humor, compassion, service to others, optimism, strong faith in God and an unswerving commitment to family.

Ted settled down with the love of his life, Cindy James, whom he met in college and who was his bride of 45 years. They raised three children, all of whom graduated from college and have successful careers. He was proud of the fact that the family has lived in the same home for 43 years. He was prouder still that when he could no longer work outside that home, he became a stay-at-home dad to his three children (Galen, Morgan and Ashley) then ages 5, 7 and 9! Ted’s many interests included cars and motorcycles (driving/repairing/restoring), gadgets, home repair, camping, small-group get-togethers, and a flare for cooking.

His love for cars and motorcycles filtered down to sons Morgan and Galen. His love of gadgets and home repair are evident in the fact that he not only had a penchant for tinkering, but he managed to do all the work on their home, except the roofing and floor work. He also did all the work on the trailer they bought for camping. These pursuits may be evident in daughter Ashley, who is an engineer.

Besides small groups at church, Ted became involved in a group for persons with disabilities, led by Sally Firestone, where he enjoyed being the token male member. Perhaps to balance things out, Ted was also a founder of the OFB, the “Old Farts Breakfast” group, which meets twice a month. As an outgrowth of Ted and Cindy’s love of camping, Ted helped start the KC Metro Casita Club. Originally the group numbered six or seven Casita owners, but it now has over 70 members in three states. Cooking was another one of Ted’s talents. While Cindy readily admits that he was the better cook, two of his sisters-in-law have raved about the Thanksgiving dinners — the turkey cooked to perfection, unforgettable mashed potatoes, and his famous sweet potato and pecan-encrusted casserole.

To his family, he was a loving husband, parent, grandparent, brother, brother-in-law, and son-in-law, who never let his physical infirmities get in the way of his commitment to them and their well-being. To his scores of friends, he was a loving, caring person, who never met a stranger. He liked finding out about people and accepted them as they were. His smile, his quick wit, optimism and perseverance were unmatched. One of his kids asked him once what he wished had not happened to him in his life. While his answer was polio and wheelchairs, he realized all that made him who he was. While we all will miss him, each of us, related by blood or love, are far better off for having had him in our lives.

We give thanks that now he has been richly welcomed by a Heavenly Host who were anxious to meet him, too — in a place where there are no infirmities or wheelchairs! Ted is survived by his wife, Cindy; their daughter, Ashley (James) Morris of Johnson City, TN; sons Morgan (Whitney) of Sterling, CO; and Galen of Kansas City, MO; and three granddaughters, in whom he took great joy, Rebecca and Catherine Morris, and Molly Wienstroer. He is also survived by an older brother, Thomas Benjamin (Nancy) Wienstroer of Onaga, KS. Ted was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence Galen and Agnes Marie (Yazvac) Wienstroer and his younger brother, Charles Michael Wienstroer.

A Celebration of Life for Ted will take place at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at Resurrection Brookside at Historic Central, located at 5144 Oak Street, Kansas City MO. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you please consider donating to Rotary International to help fund polio eradication, or to The Whole Person disability services and support organization in Kansas City, MO.