Remembering Ted:
A Tribute to a Life Well-Lived
Theodore "Ted" Sieckman
(1935-2023)
Ted's Story...
Theodore Kent Sieckman, known to all as "Ted", lived nearly 88 good years on this earth. Almost half of that time was spent putting down roots with me on our little piece of land, watched over by Mt Hood. This was the home he ventured from for assignments, trips and holidays and to which he was always warmly welcomed back. It is a place surrounded by trees, mountains, rivers, friends and family.
Many roads and paths led here. He was born in the Midwest in Gary, Indiana during the Great Depression. The family, having lost the oldest child Jimmy (to an infection before reliable antibiotics), decided like many others at the time to leave and go West for opportunity. His mother Mildred and father Chet piled the whole family—Teddy, his baby sister Judy and big sister Colleen— into a Studebaker and left for California in 1941. The move brought both joy and sorrow for while they were there a new little boy Wayne was born but suddenly and sadly they lost another child, Judy. Much of Teddy’s youth was spent among the hot, dry hills of eastern San Diego County with his dog Coco. There he learned to fight the frequent fires in the backcountry and yearned to play baseball on a green grassy field instead of a dusty lot. From a very shy youngster he blossomed, thanks to some caring and insightful teachers, into a gregarious leader in high school. This earned him a scholarship to study government with JSA in the redwoods of Northern California and changed the trajectory of his life. He found new purpose, fell in love with the green and the seasons and developed lifelong friends there.
Ted was very curious and deeply valued education. His keen engineer’s mind wanted to know how things worked. He wanted to know about the world, the cosmos and the details of the lives of his friends and family. From his studies at Cal Berkeley and Stanford he gleaned what he needed to carve the path he wanted in his career and his life. He was a lifelong learner and never turned away from a new challenge. Always interested in our place in the world and the environment, he was excited to immerse himself in solar and wind energy in the last years before his retirement. Outside of work he continued exploring new ideas and his years at the beautiful Portland Japanese Garden allowed him to create new paths to understanding its rich history, to delve deeply into the life of its creator and to gain new friendships.
Travel was another touchstone for Ted and he loved to explore the world alone or together with me. Our years of living in Belgium enriched our lives and allowed us to experience some of the joys, difficulties, routines (and food!) of other cultures and places. As much as he enjoyed traveling he was happiest at home when surrounded by family and friends for celebrations, food, drink and good conversation. He was proud of his own accomplishments (including two marathons) and supported and celebrated those of mine (he joined the Board at NUNM when I attended), of his daughters Clarice and Leslie, his grandkids Madeleine and Chandler as well as his family and friends. The births of his daughters and grandchildren were major milestones in his life—inspiring this engineer to compose poetry!
Although the broad strokes of one’s life are easiest to see, sometimes the little things about a person can shine a light. Anyone who spent enough time around Ted knew he craved his ice cream, especially black walnut or vanilla with hot fudge. He loved the sunshine (especially after living so long in frequently overcast Oregon!) His photos on phone and computer overflow with colorful images of flowers. He enjoyed making things new again and had a stash of broken items, pottery etc. that he would spend hours gluing back together for me or the kids. And in keeping with his love of knowledge, he collected countless newspaper articles— there were piles of paper on his desk I could go on, but. . . .
How does one encapsulate a life in just a few words? It can’t be done. But we are providing a place here, and inviting you to give us your memories—your photos, reminiscences, funny stories, things you taught him, things you learned from him—anything you remember about the life of Ted. Together we can paint a picture from many angles of my much loved husband, father, grandfather (Papa), brother, uncle and friend and keep his presence and memory bright.
As for me, I am profoundly grateful for the life we made together. Some of my feelings can be summed up with the simple words of this poem:
Sometimes i wonder what life would be like
If we had not met if we had never collided in this lifetime
Or learned what the curve of each others faces felt like
Who would i be if i had never held your hand
Who would i be if i had never been loved by you
(Michaela Angemeer)
​
Thank you for enriching Ted’s life, and mine.
With love and gratitude, Arlette (aka Letty)
In celebration of Ted's extraordinary journey, his family wants to create a keepsake of cherished memories to share with others. They would be grateful if you could share your stories and photographs of your time with Ted.
Every word and every snapshot will help weave together a heartfelt collection, capturing the love that Ted brought into our lives.
​
You can share your stories and memories by sending them through the mail or conveniently submitting them via our secure online form. Your contribution will be a gift that forever honors the legacy of a truly remarkable soul.