Tuesday, December 3, 2024
As Ted's sister i know about his childhood. He wasn't a big talker and had a short memory. Ted always had a sunny personality and often seemed totally oblivious to the trouble he was in. Late for supper for the zillionth time and you could hear him whistling down the street. It was really hard for our parents to be mad at him, as he seemed so happy and unaware that he was causing any unhappiness for any reason.
He was also very mischievous and there were a couple of capers that could not be overlooked, like trying to set a fire in the attic and throwing fire crackers under cars as they went by. After being caught in the drainage pipes on the military base, he got the proverbial spanking. Ted was howling and so was I. My mother paused in disbelief and asked me why i was crying?? The spanking ended as 2 kids howling was too much.
Ted was really good at sports and he tried them all. If we moved to a new place, he asked where his stuff was and then ran out the door with a football in his hand. In no time the house was full of his new found friends. He really distinguished himself at hockey.
Ted saved my life on 2 occasions and probably more. While on a beach he was the first one to notice that my little bloomers were floating on top of the water and he grabbed them. Bloomers on the top means head under water.. Right? A few years later I slipped under the waves and he ran out and pulled me back to shore. Thank you Ted.
As Ted matured he became a lot quieter and was a model son and student. I was horrified at that development. It made my capers seem so much worse. I cannot ever remember Ted being disrespectful to our parents. His solution was to quietly adjourn to his room. That had more effect than any argument. But he did practice his wrestling holds on me, and I'll never forget the Flying Mare. I was always amazed at his honesty. If you asked Ted if he had done something, he never lied about it. One time. in a sibling tussle we broke my Mother's treasured statue. It was my idea to bury it in the back yard and hope she didn't notice. One day gardening she dug it up and came into the house with the broken pieces, looking for the culprit. Ted fessed up immediately. Looking at me, she said, " I know who buried the evidence. "
While I was in Germany for 3 years, he came to visit and had an insatiable interest in everything around him. He was the last one to catch up with the group. While in Turkey, we went to some Turkish dancing and he snapped a picture of me dancing with a Turk. I was pleased about it and Ted said, "Don't let it go to your head. He was eying your gold watch." And pictures don't lie.
Ted left Ottawa and eventually ended up in the Maritimes. He was very shy around women so when he met Mary, we were thrilled. Their sons ,Steven and Mark, were our pride and joy, marrying Elizabeth Jane and Jenny and gifting our family with 7 grandchildren. I missed Ted over the years and I always will. He had a challenging illness which he faced bravely, with the loving help of the love of his life, Mary, and his sons Mark and Steven. In Ted style, he kept whistling. Was there anything more? Yes, we wanted to keep him longer.
Love and strength to you in this difficult time. Elaine
