Theodore Roosevelt Ward Jr.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT WARD JR (Ted) passed away at his home on September 1, 2024, in Olympia, Washington from complications of congestive heart failure and lung cancer. He was 93 years old. He was born on May 24, 1931, in Independence Oregon on a hop ranch. He was the 6th child out of 7 and the only son. His spouse, Linda C. Jarbo Ward, was present at the time of his passing.

They were married on May 6, 1978, at the First Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen, Washington. They celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary in May of 2024. They had no children of their own.

He was predeceased by his first wife, Mary “Pearl” Murray, who passed away in 1977. Ted is survived by four of his 6 children from his first marriage. His surviving children are Gail Rene Ward, Tara Rae Davis, Jody Lynn Ward and Thomas (Tom) Robert Ward.

His grandchildren and number of great-grandchildren are as follows:

Jack Miner (1), Jenifer Miner (4) and Elizabeth Beck (1).

Tanesa (2), Nathaniel (Erin and 3 children), Desmond (Susie and 2 children). Tyrone (4), Isaac (Antoinette and 2 children), Bobbee (Tyler and 2 children).

Joseph W. Shumate (4).

Tanner Spargo and Preston Ward.

Tim Ward (Amy and 3 children).

Mike Walsh (Lynn and 2 children).

Nicole Jones (1).

Ted was predeceased by his parents, Theodore Roosevelt Ward Sr. and his mother, Charlotte Marcella Baker Ellis. His predeceased siblings were Mary Jane Ward, Romona Evelyn Ward, Elizabeth Ann Ward, Evelyn Babcock, Edna Ward and Charlotte Ward.

He was predeceased by two of his six children: Connie Joy Fisher Jones and Theodore Ryan Ward.

He is survived by two stepsons from his marriage to Linda C. Jarbo Ward: Raymond Lee DeBacker Jr. and Karl Anthony Hardenberg.

Ted served in the United States Coast Guard for 20 years and 11 days, retiring as E8, Senior Chief Petty Officer. His retirement date was May 1, 1970. He joined the Oregon National Guard in 1946, and he worked for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph as a lineman. He believed in working hard and he carried this trait all his life.

In 1949, he read an ad in the Astoria newspaper for a cook’s position. His sister, Elizabeth (Betty) drove him to the coast guard recruiter’s office where on April 15, 1949, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. He was stationed on the USCGC Balsam in Astoria Oregon, until he went to Engineman School training in Groton, Connecticut in 1950.

He served on several ice breakers in the Arctic Circle patrolling for stranded ships due to the frozen icy waters. Ted would re-enlist each time he was discharged and served in a variety of locations. Some of the locations where he was stationed are Alaska, Samoa California, Idaho and Seattle Washington.

He spent a year on Kure Island at Midway in the Pacific Ocean. The island was just about a mile in length and not very wide. His job was to service the Loran tower each month and to keep the generators working so they could make their own water for drinking and bathing purposes.

He loved the 3 years he spent at Lime Kiln Lighthouse Duty Station on Friday Harbor, Washington. He oversaw making sure the lighthouse was operational as an aide to navigation.

After he retired from USCG, he moved back to Aberdeen with his family where he enrolled in Grays Harbor Community College, achieving his goal of getting his AA degree in general studies. While he was in college, he held several jobs in addition to working as a fishing boat skipper out of Western Charters in Westport Washington. He purchased a local tavern on Curtis Street in South Aberdeen and renamed it The Northwest Passage. He made the tavern a success. He also opened two beauty shops, The Carousell and the Beauty Bungalow.

Ted had a wide variety of hobbies: he loved working on old vehicles; going deer and elk hunting; boating and fishing; turning bowls out of exotic woods on his wood lathe; building bookshelves but his most favorite of all hobbies was machine sewing quilts and giving them away. He made over a hundred quilts, most of which were given away to children’s charities.

Ted’s funeral services will be held at Mills and Mills Funeral Home in Tumwater Washington, on the 3rd of October 2024, memorial service will be at 11am, Graveside service will be at 12 noon with refreshments right after the graveside service.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite veterans' charity in his honor.