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