Ted treasuring holding fingers with a new great-grandchild
THEODORE (TED) KITTLESON
1923 ˜ 2021
Ted passed onto his next adventure Sept. 29 at 98. He left this world peacefully and without pain. He was born in a Moorhead, MN, maternity home, the oldest of five children. Growing up during the Depression, he worked at a butcher’s market to contribute to family living costs. Those were the times of home ice boxes, hobos being paid for work with sandwiches from his mom, and horses digging a neighbor’s basement. Special joys were going with friends and other families to “the lakes,” a Midwest tradition!
After Pearl Harbor, he enrolled in the Army, attended OCS, and landed at Normandy two days after D-Day. He kept a journal, had typical horror stories, and marched enduring enemy snipers in celebrations liberating Paris. Toward the end of the war, as an artillery commander, he made the decision not to obliterate the ancient twin towers of the Cologne (Koln) Cathedral in W. Germany, wondering what the point would be. Even during those experiences, he sent a Christmas card to his folks, with a picture of a US soldier on the front holding a child, writing, “We have a lot to be grateful for this Christmas, and know that next may be more pleasant for more.”
Upon his return, he went on to University, married his sweetheart Clarice Solberg, was co-owner of a trucking line, and then moved to the Pacific NW to teach math and science in Oregon. Interrupting that, he remained devoted to serving in the wake of the Korean War, assigned as PIO at Fort Huachuca in AZ, then NY, but wasn’t called up for active duty in Korea.
Three kids later, he finished his MAT in Eugene at the University of Oregon, the family living with him for the summer in a converted garage. The next adventure was taking the family to Germany from 1961-63 with the DOD to teach at Ludwigsburg HS as the Berlin Wall was being erected. He remained active in the Army National Guard and Reserves, and felt honored to serve his whole life. The family camped (due to finances) ALL over Europe, from the Arctic Circle to Greece and Turkey.
He built and we lived in two houses in Vancouver. After years of public school teaching, his subsequent jobs were working with the Oregon State Dept of Education in Migrant Education and licensing private educational facilities across the state; he said it was the best job in the world! In his “spare time,” he wanted to teach Adult Basic Ed (ABE) classes at Clark Community College to help students obtain their GEDs.
Thankfully, he and Clare took advantage of well-earned military air transport on an available basis (Space A) to travel the world, crossed the country a couple times in an RV, and shared much of this with kids/grandkids.
Loves and strengths
Loved: life itself and nature (thought it could already be heaven); babies and children; extended family; daily car rides, singing in the car through the decades; photography
Strengths: gratitude; intellectual curiosity, lifelong learner; brave; endless energy and drive; never complaining; self-deprecating (humor), didn’t want an obituary...
Addendum:
Lest one think there weren’t downsides to this man, he said about the topic of professional counseling, “What good does talking do?” (!!)
He, son Bill and daughter Stephanie cared for Clare on a daily basis for a decade as she was suffering from the ravages of Alzheimer’s. She died at 95 in December 2020. He is survived by son, Bill Kittleson; daughter, Janet Abbott (Dave); grandkids, Dan Abbott (Emily), Kristin Coulter (Brad), Karen Thompson (Scott); five great-grandchildren, plus dear loving extended family members.
Comments from former 1955 students
(shared in Dec 2020):
· I and two of my classmates went into teaching because of Mr. Kittleson.
· He is a great man who influenced many lives. He was my reason for becoming an educator and I can only hope that I was able to impact young lives.
· Ted was the shirt-and-tie guy, 2nd floor, NE corner, 7th grade... would sit on his desk front, feet on a chair, rolled-up sleeves or not, and nailed it for me into becoming an educator.
Ted’s remains will join Clare’s (wife of 74 years) in the Columbia River at a Celebration of Life, date TBD. He was also preceded in death by daughter, Stephanie 2014, and his four siblings.
Eternal gratitude and appreciation to his caregivers for the last 2+ years: Homestead Senior Care: Rebecca, Amos, and Eliza, kids Finnias, Miriam, and Sephora. They were as kind as anyone could be, and engaged him daily. Also, thanks to Peace Health Medical Center staff for utmost physical patient care and fabulous communication with family.
Final thoughts from others:
· The world has lost one of its finest humans ever.
· A heartfelt thank you to Ted for showing the rest of us how to ride the roller coaster of life with such decency and determination. Those of us who got to know him at all found someone with a sturdy soul _ a great teacher _ always eager to learn _ anxious to use the special skills he was blessed with.
· Son Bill: The only thing worse than dying is not dying. This was Dad’s time to leave.
Family contact: [email protected]
Please share a memory @ www.columbian.com/obits
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
2 Entries
Sorry Bill for your profound loss. So many wrote beautiful thing about your father. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Be well my friend.
Renee Hass/ Brinkmeyer
November 2, 2021
Thank you Mr. K for your influence. You are in my prayers each night.
Colonel Thomas
October 18, 2021
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