August 12th, 2007

This is the speech that Tim Backer gave at the Memorial. He sent it to me today to post here. It was enjoyable, funny and exceptionally appropriate for the occasion. Thanks Tim for sharing this with us!

We are here to celebrate the life of Ted Backer, what a life it was.

I would like to introduce his family that is here, his wife Cindy, whom you all know, his daughter Shawna and her husband Zack, and son Brody, Ted’s son Jarrek, and his son Ted, his mother Clel Shore, his brother Bob, his sisters Joan and Kim, and my wife Pat.

I would like to thank everyone that put this memorial together. I know Ted is here with us in spirit and watching over us. I would like to recognize our mother Clel Shore. The news of her death is premature, but I think it the mistype would make Ted laugh. When Ron asked me to say a few words I thought right of way there is no way to tell a story as well as Ted did, I just hope I don’t embarrass myself.

We will all miss Ted’s evil smile but I think we are all better for having known him. He had a good work ethic, and was always telling me stories about work and the people he worked with. He seemed to really like his job. Any time I was with him he had his computer and cell phone so he could take care of work. He told me that people would try to figure out what he did for Halliburton. Everyone knew he worked there but no one seem to know what he did. He said he hoped that Halliburton never figured out that he didn’t do anything, cause they pay me an awful lot to do nothing.

Ted loved his friends and was always willing to help them in a moments notice. He could certainly make you smile with a good story. My children would sit and listen to him for hours, which would only encourage greater stories.

Ted started telling stories at a very young age. As many of you may have seen on the web site, there are numerous pictures of Ted when he was young. When I was about five and Ted was 9, I found a large drawer full of pictures of Ted. I mean hundreds. I asked Ted why there were so many pictures of him and none of me. He simply said He Was the Favorite and then calmly walked away. It was many years before I learned that our parents had a good friend who was becoming a professional photographer and was practicing with Ted.

Ted loved his family and was very proud of them. Every time I talked to him he would tell me something they had done. It was not always about being too young to drive and flipping a car or skipping school or some other misdeed, but usually about great accomplishments that the kids had done such as excelling in sports or school. In later years he started bragging about the grand children and how soon he was going to get to see them again.

As a younger brother, you always try to one up your older brother. The only time I think I came close was actually last year. I had gone to Las Vegas with my wife for a conference she had and for my 50^th birthday. While she was in meetings I went to Hoover Dam. I called Ted that morning. I asked are you busy and he said of course not, I am at work! I said I was looking at Hoover Dam. He was quite impressed and said it doesn’t get much better than that. I said yes it does if you are on a 2006 Road King. He said Son of a Bitch. He was totally jealous.

Ted came to Florida one year for Thanksgiving and brought his Harley. That is the only time I ever got to ride with Ted. I am an auxiliary deputy sheriff and I was the departments motorcycle officer. I had a police road king. So Ted and I went for a ride. You need to realize that the department required me to only ride in uniform. So Ted had me chasing him several times with lights and siren. After it got dark, I turned between some houses and told him to follow me, We were on the golf cart path of a very exclusive golf course. He was amazed that his conservative little brother was turning a little wild. Actually The people in the area new I rode through there at night and actually were appreciative. But I let Ted think we might get caught.

The next day, Cindy and Ted went over to Sarasota and rode with KAT who is a friend of Ron’s and they rode the whole day along the beaches on the West Coast. About 5:00 PM I get a call from Cindy. They are at the hospital in Sarasota and Ted fell and broke his collar bone. Being the loving brother that I am, I asked if the bike was OK. Cindy said oh yes, he didn’t fall off the bike, he just can’t walk on a sidewalk.

The next year Ron came through town and it is probably the only time that the Sheriff escorted him with lights and siren to a bar.

I would like to thank our sister Allyson and our brother Bob for coming down to help care for Ted the weekend before he died. I think it meant a lot to him to have them here. I am grateful that most of his brothers and sisters got to talk to him on his final day. Ted’s cancer came on quick, and I am thankful that he had very little suffering. I am glad that he and Cindy had just been to my house in May for my son’s wedding and we all had a great time. Ted told me he had a great life with very few regrets. I can safely say that Ted lived each day to the fullest. I have always admired his positive and can do attitude and hope as I get older I can keep that kind of attitude as well.

The next time you hear the rumble in the sky, it’s probably Ted firing up his Harley.

To finish this up, I will quote my mother, actually Dr. Suess

"Don’t Cry because it’s over, Smile because it happened."

TED - God Bless and ride safe

Photos from Ron Balliet

These are some photos that Ron sent me from this past weekend. These are all from dinner on Saturday night at the Blue Dog with the family. As Dave Anderson commented at the beginning of the Memorial on Sunday, we were gathered together to remember the life of Ted, not to mourn his passing. The occasion was somber at times, but was otherwise very jovial as you can see from these pictures. That's just how Ted would have wanted it.

1-Tim Backer (Ted's brother), Guzzi Dave and his girlfriend Nicole.

2-Obie and Mike, some of the first Numar-ians.

3-Brother Bob, Tim's wife Pat, Daughter Shawna and her hubbie Zach,
family friend Brenda, Mother Clel, Obie's wife Shawnee, and Sister Kim

4-Sister Joan and old Numar-ian Morris

5-Sister Kim, Brother Tim and Sister Joan

6-Brother Tim, Nicole and Guzzi Dave, and Sister Joan

7-Sister Kim, Brother Tim, Son Teddy, Sister Joan and Mother Clel

8-Sister Joan and Ron


9-Sister Joan and Mother Clel

Haunted house in Scotland??

Hello Neal,

I was very shocked and saddened to hear of Ted’s passing; Ted was such a nice guy, always willing to help and made you feel welcome. I last saw Ted in Houston in March of this year for Halliburton’s OTC Seminar; he had such a cheery disposition. I remember him telling me that a long time ago he had a trip to Aberdeen Scotland and lived in a house called Greenacres; he asked me if I knew where this house was.

On driving home from work one evening I was sitting in a queue of traffic right outside Greenacres, so I rolled down the window and proceeded to take some pictures of the house, which had been renovated (not sure what the other motorist thought I was doing) and I sent these pictures to Ted who was delighted, he told me that when he stayed there that he thought the house was haunted..! He was full of stories.

My sincere condolences to Ted’s family, he will be sorely missed.

Jackie MacGregor

Aberdeen, Scotland.

More Pics from Tod Backer

Teddy always had a helping hand. The stories here make me proud that he was my brother.

Thank You,

Tod Backer

Ridin' "The Dragon"

Here's a great pic of Ted and Cindy on a big ride in North Carolina. The Dragon, I think. Ted's mom Clel sent this to me. Thanks!

I'm sure somebody somewhere has a story to tell about this one!

(Click HERE for more info on "The Dragon" at Deal's Gap, NC)

BIG THANKS from Numar/Halliburton friend

In 1997, I had been out of the petroleum industry about 15 years, having lost my first career in the industry down turn of the mid-80's. Sometime during the summer I stumbled over a recruiting ad for NUMAR. I quickly replied and much to my surprise got call from Dave Marshall. I interviewed and was told I had a job as an analyst. Well, things didn't turn out that way. Halliburton purchased NUMAR and the job offer disappeared. Somewhat desperate, I called Ron Cherry and inquired about the possibility of getting a field job. He told me to
contact Ted, which I did. A few days later I had an interview…and not too much later a job!

Now the important part of this story is this: in 1997 I was 51 years old. When Ted told the NUMAR engineers in Brenhem he was hiring a 51 year old engineer they told him he was crazy, but hire me he did. To make a long story short, I broke out as an engineer on my first training job (though Ted did say that that wasn't the usual practice) and six months later received a promotion (encouraged by Ted) to the analyst position I had lost the previous summer.

Over the last ten years, whenever I saw Ted, I made it a special point to thank him for giving me the chance to rebuild my career. Ted being Ted just smiled. To this day I can't hear or think of his name without thinking of how lucky I was.

Thank you, Ted, for the second chance. Thank you for my career!

Wyatt Canady

Memories from old Numar friend

I worked with Ted, Ron and the Numar 1 gang!

It was a sad day when Ron informed me of Ted's passing away. So many memories of Ted, lock picking equipment, his plethora of guns and knives; sharpening his knives when "boyfriends" came to pick up Shawna. All the times I had to pay the "friendship" dues during the multitude of happy hours, Ted then saying "you know I have Alzheimer's and am going to forget all of this fun we are having, so …. (long drawn out Missouri drawl) we need to do this again."

His antics, smirk and words of wisdom are truly going to be missed.

This is one of my favorite sayings and really reminds me of Ted …

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense. " (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Sincerely,

Obren Djordjevic (Obie)

Obituary

For those who missed the obituary in the Daily Advertiser, here is a link that Ron Balliet sent to me.

(Click HERE to read the obituary)

Ted always had a story to tell...

Hey Neal

My deepest sympathy to Ted's family as well as his friends. He will be missed dearly. I worked at Cajun Harley-Davidson for years as the bookkeeper/title clerk/secretary. I was always busy, but when Ted walked in the door it was time for a story. All work stopped while he was there.

I had an office right by the restroom which was always his second stop because Ted always took the time to come in and say hello first. I don't ride nor have I ever. I was Harley by association. But to Ted I was no different. He would get a soda and stand at my filing cabinets and tell us some of the wildest stories of his travels. Hell even his day to day life was interesting. If he didn't make you smile or down right laugh out loud then you weren't really paying attention
to what he had to say.

He was a great guy. I'm proud to say I knew Ted Backer. I know he's up there standing around telling someone about something. I just hope they're smart enough to listen. And Neal, thanks for the blog. It's nice to read other stories about Ted that I may have missed.

Sincerely,

Vickie Mitchell

Ted's Mom says Smile!!

To all of Ted's friends:

"Don't cry because it's over,

Smile because it happened."

from Ted's Mom, Clel Shore

(This is actually a quote by Dr. Seuss - CLICK HERE)