Theodore Joseph “Ted” Fedoruk, 92 of Peachtree City, Ga., passed from the living to the immortal on Wednesday, March 11, 2015. He lived a long and fulfilled life.
The second of three children, he was born in Montreal, Canada June 8, 1922. His Russian-born father, Vladimir (Walter) Fedoruk and mother Laurea Guerard, a French Canadian, moved shortly thereafter to Detroit, Mich., becoming U.S. citizens.
He graduated from Cass Technical School, Class of 1940, in Detroit, where he first developed an interest in automotive design. This interest became a passion and continued for the next 53 years as he worked as a master draftsman and tool and die design engineer for the Hudson Motor Company, Great Lakes Steel Company and Iroquois Tool, retiring in 1993.
Outside of his career, his passion for work well done was insatiable and carried into the community. Not only did he build a back-yard hockey rink, he was known for designing and building items and structures that had a profound impact in the local community: a basketball backboard, pitching mound, manual pitching devices, a photography darkroom, several small speed boats and the first electronic scoreboards for the city of Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Ted loved to live life on his terms. He was a certified pilot and loved to fly. He enjoyed golf, water skiing, hockey and basketball. He would often take kids and grandkids to see the Detroit home teams: the Red Wings, the Lions and the Tigers. He was a highly acclaimed photographer with the Grosse Pointe Camera Club and the Greater Detroit Camera Council, winning countless awards for his prints and slides from salons around the world. He was also a very skillful model airplane builder. His handcrafted balsa wood planes have been built and donated to hobby stores, schools, libraries, friends and family.
Ted and his wife relocated to Georgia in 1994 for a warmer climate. Most of all, he enjoyed taking care of the people he loved, especially his family. Always generous, an extra five dollars always found its way into the pockets of the grandchildren for that something special. There was always time to read a story, play a game or spend time with someone.
Ted was preceded in death by a sister, Helene Phifer (Warren), of Colorado Springs, Colo.
He is survived by his loving wife of 70 remarkable years, Florence Margaret (Marge) Fedoruk; a brother, Robert Fedoruk (Gloria) of Franklin, Tenn.; four children, Richard Fedoruk (Sharon) of Berrien Springs, Mich., Michael Fedoruk (Annie) of St. Clair, Mich., Dennis Fedoruk (Stephanie) of Dawsonville, Ga., and Debbie Britt (Michael) of Peachtree City. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2015, at 4 p.m. at the Chapel of Mowell Funeral Home, Peachtree City. Visitation will be held at 3 p.m.
Donations in honor of Ted’s memory can be made to Piedmont Fayette Hospital Sixty Plus Older Adult Services (c/o Piedmont Foundation, PO Box 105452, Atlanta, GA 30348-5452) or Fayette Senior Services, 4 Center Drive, Fayetteville, GA 30214.
