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Theodore (Ted) DelMedico, 61, passed away unexpectedly Wednesday, April 13, 2022. He leaves us all better for having witnessed his extraordinary faith, constant resilience, remarkable selflessness, and eternal optimism. He found strength in his Catholic Faith that spurred him to act with strength and determination to persevere through the adversities life gave him. Ted saw the best in people, even when they could not see it themselves.
His life began on June 30, 1960 in the Akron Suburb of Cuyahoga Falls, being raised by his parents, Vincent & Marjorie. He was exposed to the rich faith traditions of both his Roman Catholic Father & Eastern Orthodox Mother. Growing up he was a social, outgoing, fun-loving kid. His childhood was shaped by being raised to prioritize and value family. He was blessed to have a wide breadth of family influences, including his older brother Jay and dozens of cousins living in Ohio, as his Mother was one of 13 Lontchar children. His ability to build meaningful connections resulted in lifelong friendships, both with his brother, cousins, and even grade school friends. Throughout his life he valued these relationships, continuing to prioritize connecting with family as well as his school friend group, the Rock Heads.
After graduating in 1978 from Cuyahoga Falls High School, he went on to study Business at the University of Akron. While there in 1983, he and his friend, Todd Roberson, founded a retail auto accessory business, Truk-Kap Inc. For Ted, this began a life of entrepreneurship and furthered his people centered focus.
During this time he met Lynn (Johnson) of Wakeman, OH. Ted again was blessed with family, being welcomed into the Johnson family, by her parents Richard & Colleen, brothers Doug & Duane, and her twin sister Lisa. They were married in 1986 and settled in Akron, having their son, Vince in May of 1991. There they joined St. Francis De Sales Parish in South Akron OH. He especially valued this time spent as a young family, taking several vacation trips with the Johnsons to Silver Lake Sand Dunes as well as family trips to Florida to visit with his Uncle Joe DelMedico & Cousin Becky DelMedico and to Maryland to visit his Brother Jay & Sister in Law, Susan. His love of getting people together to connect and enjoy life was never as well demonstrated as when He, Lynn, Susan, & Jay planned a large 50th anniversary party for his Parents, Vincent & Marjorie in 1996. It was a fond memory as it both celebrated his parents and was a large family reunion reconnecting many cousins, aunts and uncles. He and Lynn's time together was cut short with her passing in 1997 after a cancer diagnosis. He found resilience in adversity both from his Faith and his relationships with Father Stein & Father Schleicher of St. Francis De Sales, as well as from a multitude of friends, family, and mentors.
He continued on, raising his son while operating Truk-Kap, and TK Distributing until 2003. Despite his tough circumstances he made time to show his parental love unconditionally. He found joy in planning exceptional birthday parties for his son, always inviting his entire grade school class to include everyone, one year even taking both classes to a minor league baseball game. He proudly coached his son in CYO grade school basketball at St. Francis, ultimately winning a championship. In this time, he saw both good and bad times at work but he learned what many find, that the human connections and impact of your career were more important than any financial bottom line. These galvanizing experiences in his late 30's helped shape his drive to be of service to others and orientate himself outwardly.
In 2002, Ted again found himself joining family as he began dating Jenny Sharpless. Their relationship began expectedly, family orientated. He relished the opportunities to take many trips with Jenny, her Daughter Kaitlyn, his Son Vince, & himself. In these years they made time for trips to Hersey, PA, Times Square, Niagara Falls, and Delaware to visit Jay & Susan. He quickly befriended Jenny's large family, appreciating the close-knit family dynamic of her Brothers; Doug, Robert, Jimmy, & Sister Rebecca, her Mother Jane, and Step Father, Don. He learned the ropes of vacationing at their family vacation destination, RV Beach Camping at Myrtle Beach, SC and made the trip annually well over 15 years. Ted also brought his Italian Catholic traditions into the melting pot, hosting annual Christmas Eve Pasta Dinners, that filled their home, basement, and garage with guests, calamari, and homemade sauce. Here his friendship with Mark & Michelle Sampson and Terry & Mandy Ufholz, and cousin Valerie DelMedico grew; their caring support was invaluable to Ted & Jenny when they faced health challenges later in life.
In 2007, Ted began his next business endeavor, Specialty Processing, working in the Environmental Services & Industrial Recycling industry until his passing. These years included 9 years of working with his Son, which were invaluable to him. During this time, he felt blessed to be able to impact quietly but generously many both inside and outside his family. He thrived as the role of a mentor and found joy in helping people navigate challenges and reach their fullest potential, always looking for joy in others' successes.
The Family Ted & Jenny created ultimately was his proudest accomplishment. This time in Ted's life he enjoyed seeing the growth of Kaitlyn and Vince into adults he was ardently proud of. He beamed anytime either of his kids were mentioned, being immensely proud of seeing his Kate's graduation from Ashland University and his Vince's graduation from Ohio State University. His familial blessings continued as he saw Vincent wed Alyssa Edwards, and Kaitlyn wed Lee Stefaniak. However, both of these weddings may have been outdone by his happiness from the birth of his Granddaughter Ember to Lee & Kaitlyn.
Ted consistently sought out and found opportunities to impact people around him in a personal, loving way. Guided by faith, he always found ways to be easy to talk to in difficult times. His optimism was contagious and instilled confidence, his resilience was inspiring, his mentorship loving. We will celebrate his life and impact on those who knew him. Please join Jenny, Vince & Alyssa (Edwards), Kaitlyn, Lee, & Ember Stefaniak, Father Vincent R., Brother Jay & Susan (Lange) to receive visitors Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 from 5 to 8 pm at the Anthony Funeral Home, 1990 S. Main St. in Akron. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, April 20th, 2022 at 11:00am at Anthony Funeral Home. Cremation will follow the service and a private interment will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Catholic Charities Diocese of Cleveland.
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