Theodore “Ted” Strasser of Boise, 93, passed away peacefully on January 7, 2021, surrounded by his three children at home in Boise. In mid-December, Ted contracted Covid-19 and died shortly after from complications. Though we are heartbroken, we take comfort in knowing that he is now with His Lord, reunited with family, friends, and his beloved wife Madeleine, and that we, one day, will be reunited with him again.
Ted was an extraordinary man. He was charming, intensely curious, thoughtful, and spiritual and we, as his surviving and deeply grieving family, are now faced with an insurmountable task: How do we tell the complete story of a man who, throughout his life, had such a profound impact on nearly every person he met? A man who gave so generously to others, who dedicated his life to serving his family, his community, and his country, and whose smile and sense of humor could warm any room. Words will never be adequate, but here we will try to paint a picture of just how remarkable he was to us as a father, a grandfather, and a great grandfather—our Teddy.
Ted lived a long, full life of 93 years. Born in New York City on October 27, 1927, to Robert and Frances Strasser, he was raised in Queens until the age of 18, when he enlisted in the Army. He was a member of the 7th Airborne 11th Infantry and proudly served his country in the Korean War. Upon returning to the US, Ted was stationed in Ithaca, NY, where a weekend trip to Montreal with a friend would prove to be life changing. After missing their exit across the border, they ended up in Ottawa where they happened upon two beautiful women, one of which was a stunning, spitfire French-Canadian girl, Madeleine, who would soon become the love of his life. Smitten by her, Ted spent many weekends making the trip from Ithaca to Quebec until they were finally married on June 13, 1953, in the Notre-Dame church in Hull, Quebec Canada. In sickness and in health, they enjoyed an adventurous, rich, and wonderful 64-year marriage until Madeleine’s passing in 2017, which had a profound and lasting impact on Ted.
Ted and Madeleine had three children; Diane, Michael, and Alex, each born in a different state as the young couple forged their way from New York to Los Angeles, only to finally land in Boise in 1957. In the 63 years that Ted lived in Boise, he became ingrained in the local community and evolved into an avid outdoorsman. He loved the mountains and took full advantage of Idaho’s beautiful wilderness. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, and skiing both on his own and with family and friends. Notably, his love of the outdoors led him to help co-found Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue (IMSRU), an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue, and mountain safety education, which he was incredibly proud to be a part of. Beyond his own children, Ted also loved to mentor local youth, coaching many years of little league baseball, optimist football, and girls’ softball. One of his grandchildren thinks fondly of seeing him at the pitcher’s mound, quietly but confidently coaching her during her first year of softball. Ted was an ardent supporter of BSU football and basketball. He enjoyed attending games and became a BAA member. He also enjoyed the arts and was a season ticket holder for the Velma Morrison Performing Arts Center.
Ted and Madeleine were deeply spiritual and dedicated much of their life to serving God. For Ted, he lived God first and family second and for nearly 50 years, he attended Cole Community Church and Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) where he taught the Children's group and later became the Children’s leader.
Ted was also an enthusiastic and talented golfer. In fact, we used to joke that it was God first, golf second, and family third. He played on many different courses across the country, and participated in a Seniors tournament in Hawaii. For many years during the summer months, he managed his BSF Monday night golf games. One of his proudest moments, however, was hitting a hole in one at Quail Hollow Golf Course, Hole 4-Par 3. Rarely did he let a bad knee or bad weather deter him from the course, but you can bet that if he wasn’t out swinging, he was in front of the golf channel at home.
After arriving in Boise, Ted was a successful and personable salesman of printing equipment for Addressograph/Multigraph and Xerox, solidifying countless relationships with customers, colleagues, and local businesses. In 1982, with the help of his oldest son Michael, he bought a book bindery business which would later become Bindery Services and which Alex continues to helm today. Even at 93, Ted still loved going into work every day simply because he enjoyed the company of others. He took pride in the enduring friendships he made throughout his life, and many former customers and colleagues continued to stop by the bindery just to chat or go to lunch with him.
Ted was truly a pillar in his family and in the community. He listened to others with an open mind, an open heart, and genuine curiosity. As a result, many, including and especially his family, often sought his advice, which he gave honestly and unequivocally. He relished long talks with his grandchildren by the pool in the summer and had a subtle and quirky sense of humor, which endeared him to so many. He was warm and welcoming, and in a room of hundreds of people, he could make you feel as if your conversation was the only one he heard and the only one that mattered. He nourished and was unconditionally supportive of his children and grandchildren’s creative ventures and entrepreneurial whims. Later in life, he spent hours corresponding with one of his granddaughters, whose travels and musings were endlessly fascinating to him, and whose letters he deeply cherished.
Ted loved his family very much and we cannot put into words how much we loved him back. He touched the hearts of everyone he met. He made us all better in our faith, our courage, our morals, and our values for knowing him. Ted was preceded in death by his love, Madeleine, his parents, and his sister, and he is survived by his three children, four grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and one daughter-in-law.
We are grateful to the nurses and doctors at St. Luke’s Hospital who took incredible care of Ted and the hospice nurses and therapists from Encompass who ensured that he could spend his last days in the comfort and peace of his own home. Their compassion and care was a huge comfort for our entire family. We are also thankful for Matthew at Alden Waggoner, who has helped us navigate these inexplicable times as we seek to honor Ted’s final wishes. There are countless friends, colleagues, and family members who loved and supported Ted throughout his remarkable 93 years here, and for that we are eternally grateful.
Our family will hold a private memorial service with military honors at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, we ask you to consider a donation in honor of Ted to BSF, IMSRU, BSU, or any church or charity you support. We also ask that you please consider our tremendous loss and the loss of so many others and continue to stay safe and protect your loved ones by following CDC guidelines, social distancing, and wearing your mask.
And so it is with the heaviest of hearts that we say goodbye for now—dad, gramps, great grandpa—we rejoice in your eternal reunion with the love of your life, and we can’t wait to see you again when we enter the gates of Heaven.
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graveside committal service, with military honors, will be held on Wednesday,
June 30, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.
