PERRY; Thomas Edward (TED)
September 17, 1952 ~ January 4, 2016
After a courageous six year roller coaster ride with cancer, Ted died closely encircled by his devoted family. Ted was born in New Westminster to Sydney and Laura Perry. He grew up loving all sports, lettering in high school soccer and tennis and playing high level baseball. Ted also had an early passion for categorizing, documenting and studying current events. This evolved into many lifelong interests including stamp collecting, genealogy, outer space and the completion of two degrees in history, a B.A. from UBC (DKE fraternity member) and a M.A. from Western Washington University. Given Ted's positive personality, his natural sense of humour and his capacity for teamwork, it was inevitable that he found his calling in education. Ted was proud to have been a teacher, a coach and a principal in the Abbotsford School District for 32 years until his retirement in 2011. Ted leaves a heartbroken but unified family behind him, including his wife and best friend Susanna, treasured sons Fraser and Ian, sister Lee Perry (Rich Helmer), brother Dave Perry (Bea), sister-in-law Mhairi Dunnett (Duncan Millar), nephews Roy, Graham and Ross Millar and brother-in-law Rick Jewell. Ted predeceased his late mother-in-law Annette Dunnett, a kindred star gazer, by only three days. Ted will also be forever missed by lifelong friends and travel mates Rod and Elaine Livingston, Owen and Valorie Pawson, Barb and Bob Saunders, Stan and Doreen Petersen, as well as the Citadel boys and many other friends in Vancouver, Abbotsford and Crescent Beach. Ted's genuine, upbeat and steady disposition made him the best kind of husband, father, brother, friend, colleague, mentor and teammate, and entirely lovable. Ted believed in generously serving others through community involvement and he role modeled this. Ted participated actively in the sports communities of both Abbotsford and Crescent Beach over the past thirty years, and only very recently resigned as President of The Abbotsford Sports Hall of Fame and as a long standing member of the tennis committee at the Crescent Beach Swim Club. The last year of Ted's life epitomized his optimism, his uncomplaining nature and his ability to find fun wherever it existed. Ted continued to regularly play tennis and floor hockey, never missed a UBC Men's Volleyball match, hosted his annual crib tournament at Crescent Beach and took road trips with his best friends. In September, he packed up his immediate family and took them to Europe for the trip of a lifetime. Over and over Ted said "I'm having a great life". Above all, Ted was a family man who never missed an opportunity to encourage and support his beloved Sue, Fraser and Ian. He adored them, was utterly proud of them, and the feeling was mutual. To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides (D. Viscott). A Celebration of Life will take place in Abbotsford on Sunday January 17th at 3:30 pm, reception to follow. Location: University of the Fraser Valley, Student Union Building (SUB), Great Hall, 33844 King Road.