Ted

I am heartbroken this morning. My mom called me about 7:30 last night and told me that she had to tell my dad that his brother died. I sat there in shock for a few seconds not really “getting” what she had just said. When it sank in, I think I said “who? What?” She told me that yesterday afternoon my aunt Robin came home from work as usual to find my uncle Ted dead on the floor of their home. It still doesn’t make sense to me. Apparently they are thinking he had a heart attack. He has a son Chris, who is still in high school, and a daughter, Emily who goes to LSU. I ask you to pray for them this morning and for the next few weeks as they have to deal with this overwhelming situation. Ted was 52.

My dad is number two of seven children. They are all really close, so I grew up knowing them all really well. I remember my aunts and uncles as teen agers and going to college and being young. But, I do not remember Ted without Robin. They were always the perfect couple. Even as a young kid, you knew that they just had that kind of “special” relationship. I don’t really know how to describe it, but you know it when you see it. He loved her deeply. They always had fun, always went on vacations to Disney World, and they loved Jimmy Buffet.

I found out very young, probably about five, that Ted could fix anything. He was an electronic engineer, and he could literally fix anything. I thought he was a super hero when he fixed a keyboard that I had gotten for Christmas. I remember watching him take it apart and solder wires together. After that day, I would hold on to broken tape recorders and toys to save and bring to him just to see if he could fix them. When I was eight, I was going somewhere with him in the car. I was in the front seat, and we were talking. A song by Madonna came on the radio, and he said “I love this song.” I remember thinking that this made him the absolute coolest man in America because he knew a song that I knew!

A few years later, Ted and Robin had a baby girl. They were so excited. I remember going over to their house to meet Emily for the first time. Ted was lying on the couch with this tiny newborn sleeping on his chest. He had this look of extreme tiredness, but even at 9 or 10 years old, I could see how proud he was. Robin told us that Ted laid around on the couch letting the baby sleep on him all day and night. A few months later, we were running through town and stopped to visit them. Emily was taking a nap in her crib. Ted was so proud of her and wanted us to see her so badly that he went and woke her up to show her off to us. I’ll never forget that proud look he had that day. I remember him telling us that Robin was having a boy a few years later. He had that same proud look on his face- look what I did ;) . Chris made Ted just as proud.

Ted was so fun. He always played basketball with us as kids. We would have these huge family games. While he took it very seriously with his brothers, he always made sure we learned pointers. He was such a great man. I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that he is gone. It doesn’t make sense to me. The world will miss out on an amazing man. Ted, you had a big impact on this world, and we will miss you dearly. I feel fortunate to have known you.