Classic Teddy 2

Classic Teddy 1

Everything was always a bit brighter around Ted.

Lots of great memories from Track and Field.

I am sure Ted heard several times that he outkicked his coverage!  But Ashley knew the amazing man she was getting.  A beautiful bride and a beautiful wedding!!  I was honored to be invited and share their amazing day with them!

You can see the loving pride of a grandfather here.  Frank loved Ted so much!

Fantastic post on Facebook from Chris Raine:

Ted Vopat passed away last night. He was one of the kindest and funniest people I've ever known.

I had the luck of running into Ted last fall at a Carroll football game while I was killing time in between weddings in Kansas. At that point I probably hadn't seen him in person for at least a year or two. "Mr. Raine," he said in that familiar gruff voice before embracing me. That was early in the second quarter. We spent the rest of the game together, talking and laughing as if we'd never been apart.

That meeting feels a bit like fate now, as it's the last time I saw him, although not the last time we spoke. He told me fairly early on when he was first diagnosed. I could tell he was scared, as any sane person would be, but he was so strong about it. We shared many text messages over the following months. He was relentlessly positive and funny throughout. That was Ted.

Ted was a very gentle man -- a funny trait for a guy that was once one of the best football players in the state -- but he was a fighter, and I know he lasted longer fighting this terrible illness than I or possibly anyone else I know would have. And he fought not for himself, but for his family and loved ones and all the people he'd met and impacted over his too-short life, because the worst thing in the world to him was the idea that he might be troubling or inconveniencing someone else.

I found this button while I was back home over Christmas, scrounging around a trunk of papers, photos and other knickknacks my mom has collected from my childhood. That discovery also feels fateful now, as it represents a perfect microcosm of the role Ted played for me and so many other people. This is how I described it in a letter I sent to him not long ago, along with the button:

"You always put me on your back, your strength allowing me to enjoy the moment to its fullest. Your eyes are always looking ahead, ready to clear the path to get us where we need to go, seeing if there’s anybody trying to block our way, or, more often, that wants to join in the fun.

Maybe this letter will find you on the road to recovery. Maybe it’ll find you preparing to embark on whatever’s next. If it’s the former, I look forward to seeing you next time I’m in town to share a chuckle about how ol’ Ted dodged another close one.

And if it’s the latter, then I suspect you’ll soon find yourself in a familiar role. Protecting us. Putting us on your back. Making us smile. Looking forward to the next time we see each other, knowing that no matter how long that may be, it’ll feel like we we were never apart."

I love you Ted. I miss you. Til the next time.

Your friend, 
Chris

From Erin Barthelme on Facebook:


"Found this awesome picture of our dear friend while going though old photos! I guess you guys were starting a super sweet boy band!"

The man shared a love of Def Leppard with Vince and myself!  I lost count of how many concerts I saw with the two of them.  And I am sure he has seen many more without me.

We all remember the jet ski incident. I love how Ted chose to remember it!

I have been best friends with Vince since the first day of Freshman year at Bishop Carroll.  Not too long after that I met his family.  What an amazing goup of people. Ted was always the funny one, always a smile on his face, always there for you if you needed anything, and was never one that wanted to be a burden to anybody.  I suspect that is why he kept his pain so quite for so long.  He was a fighter, but he chose to fight alone.  

This picture was on facebook and thought I would share it.  

Here is Ted's comment on the picture:


Ted Vopat 
SocialInterview.com asked me "If a total stranger saw this photo, what would they think of you?"

I answered "I'm a baller who lives a luxurious lifestyle. They might be right someday, but that day isn't today."