Theodore "Ted" E. Walter, Sr passed away on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at his home in Clayton, DE.  He was 84 years old.

Ted was born on June 6, 1941, in Philadelphia, PA to William T. Walter, Sr. and Florence E. Walter (nee Katzan).  He was a well-mannered boy with curly blonde hair.  His Mother would be given extra sugar rations from the older ladies in the store saying, here, get some extra sugar to make your son a special treat.  When he was about 5, his father bought the 1934 Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood Aerodynamic Coupe, body style number 3 of 3—the actual car shown in the photo above.  This vehicle was used as the family car for several years until his father restored it to a show car only status. Ted often recalled his mother driving the 154-inch wheelbase car without power steering through the city and suburbs.  Early on whenever they would go on long car rides, Ted would climb up into the rear window area of the car to stretch out, take a nap, wave to fellow AACA members participating in the drive, or to simply enjoy the scenery.  Can you imagine someone doing that today? Guess you could say that he was in training for a career in the car business.  Ted was a very caring and thoughtful child.  Born an asthmatic, Ted missed a lot of school his first year, giving him ample time to consider becoming a priest.  But as he graduated from Transfiguration Grammer School to attend West Catholic High School for Boys, he discovered girls and realized that that could be a problem.  The priesthood was out.

After graduating from West Catholic in 1961, he took a job working for a map charting company in New Jersey.  Due to his asthma and allergies, both of his parents suggested that he work in an office full-time and spend weekends at his father's repair shop.  It didn't take long for Ted to realize that no matter how interesting the map charting business could be, it wasn't for him.  He was then hired as a delivery driver for Ford Motor Parts and was quickly promoted to the counter.  He attended the required Ford Motor Part Numbering System courses and maintained a full-time indoor position while also assisting at his father's repair shop.  He found that job unfulfilling and aspired to pursue a full-time career in automotive work.  He was hired at one of the Ford Dealerships in Philadelphia as a mechanic.  His reputation for mechanical expertise quickly grew, prompting Ford dealerships to compete for his skills with incentives and higher salaries.  As he accepted different offers, sometimes going back to the same dealership more than once, he moved to a dealership located in Springfield, Delaware County. Close to where he lived, no city taxes, a win win for him.  Local Cadillac dealerships quickly offered him irresistible job opportunities as well. At this juncture, his personal responsibilities changed, requiring him to support a family.  He applied for and got a job working at the Boeing Helicopter plant in Springfield, Delaware County, where he used his skills to help build the Chinook Helicopter for use in the Vietnam War.  By the early 1970s, he secured a machinist position at Westinghouse with an increased salary.  He still continued working for his semi-retired father.

Despite his own personal tragedies, Ted saved a homeless man from a snow drift one winter night.  His compassion to help this man helped Ted to regain his own life.  He fixed up a room for the man to stay, he shared his food, he even bought the necessary medicine that Fred needed for his breathing problems.  The man stayed with Ted for nearly 10 years, at which point Ted was able to get him admitted into a Veteran's home.  In the meantime, Ted was working on cars, rebuilding carburetors and power antenna assemblies for a businessman selling parts for old cars.  Eventually Ted decided to start his own car repair business, working out of his Father's shop in Philadelphia.  By the mid 1990's, watching the trending car business, Ted realized that he would have to get computerized equipment to repair the newer cars, so he decided to specialize in vintage Cadillacs, allowing him to diagnose and repair with just his knowledge, hands and tools.  Ted's Cadillacs was established.  It was a success and with the help of his true love, Joann, they incorporated in 2000 as specializing in the mechanical and electrical restoration of vintage Cadillacs.  Ted could also do body and fender work, but hey, how much can one man do?  He replaced bumpers for some customers, but he preferred to work on the mechanics and getting the cars to run better than when they were new.  In 1999 he was contacted by Bahrain's Emirate office in New York City, to see if he'd be able to diagnose a car being driven by the then son of the Emir – that was in Bahrain.  The joke was that it all depended on the phone connection.  After he spoke with the representative, he was offered the opportunity to go over to Bahrain and work on the actual car.  All expenses paid.  And he would have gotten his hourly rate from the moment that they picked him up at our front door, to the moment that they dropped him off back home.  All he had to do was get his passport.  They were going to set him up in the palace.  They were going to provide every part and tool that he could possibly need after he provided them with a list.  He was hesitant about that venture due to the tensions in that region, but his wife was all for it.  Unfortunately, the King of Jordan died in February of 1999, followed by the death of Bahrain's Emir in March.  Now the son becomes the new Emir, leaving him no time to be cruising around in his Cadillac.  Wouldn't that have been quite an experience?  Speaking of experiences, have you ever been to a junkyard picnic?  True story.  Early in their relationship, Ted decided that it was time for a junkyard run to New Jersey.  A friend owned a junkyard and allowed him to take good used parts from the Cadillac section.  So, he asked Joann to go with him.  Her immediate response was, "A junkyard?"  There is no way that she was going to a dirty junkyard.  But he convinced her that it was a clean place on sandy ground. He intended to bring a large umbrella, two chairs, a cooler with sandwiches, snacks, and cold drinks.  She could sit under the umbrella, put her feet in the sand, read a book, and enjoy the day while he went from car to car removing the parts that he wanted to purchase.  That was a first for her and she actually enjoyed it.

Ted continued to work on Cadillacs, rebuilding and selling carburetors (which were shipped all over the world) power antenna assemblies, always searching for NOS or good used parts at flea markets, going to car shows with the Cadillac LaSalle Club, cruise nights, and selling and buying parts on eBay.  He was compelled to retire in 2013 after wrenching his back one last time while working beneath the dashboard of a 1966 Cadillac.  It was all he could do to get out of the car.  We finally sold that garage and moved to Delaware in January of 2015.

Ted had such compassion for helping people and animals, especially pussycats.  One day he called home and asked me to bring down some cat food.  I responded, "we don't have any cat food, I'd have to go buy some.  What are you trying to do?"  He replied, "there's a young Mommy pussy cat here with 2 new kittens and she needs some food."  I arrived at the garage with the food, and he led me to where a dirty, scrawny Calico cat with two young kittens was hiding.  That was in 2008.  We were at the garage every day to provide food for the entire feral colony.  Ted started bringing the Calico into the garage to hang out with him.  During the cold, winter months we would both go to the garage to open it up and let her in to eat, rest and get warm.  In 2009 that Calico disappeared for a short time.  Ted walked the entire neighborhood looking for her.  She finally appeared, looking exhausted, at which time Ted declared that we were taking her home.  She brought luggage with her and had a litter of kittens in our living room.  She was so appreciative to be indoors that she kept those babies in order.  If I yelled at one of them, she would come running to see what was going on, then talk with the instigator and warn them not to do that again.  She had four babies in that litter that survived.  When we finally found a home for one of them, the kitten cried so loud that Ted said we were keeping the rest because he couldn't bear listening to the others cry like that.  We now had 4 cats – 2 Calicos and 2 Torties.  Ted was a happy man.

Ted had many interests throughout the years.  He owned and operated a hobby shop with a friend. He loved playing the pinball machines.  I think he was their number one customer with that one.  He loved listening to music from Doo-Wop and the Oldies, to Rock 'n Roll … he could name that tune by the 3rd note.  He had a stereo system with such a complex remote control that I couldn't figure out how to turn it on or off. He would have the whole house rocking.  He really enjoyed watching video concerts as well.  One evening, he entertained my father with performances by Rod Stewart, the Talking Heads, and the Eagles.  Dad enjoyed it.  Thank goodness that he was already hard of hearing!   Ted was an avid stamp collector which he started doing again after he retired.  He was also interested in planetary science and watched intently the whole Mars and Saturn explorations.  He thoroughly enjoyed watching TV from the Discovery Channel and the History Channel to more recently MeTV and Grit TV.  He even enjoyed watching a good musical from time to time like 7 Brothers for 7 Wives, etc.

Ted also loved to cook.  He made THE best homemade soups, stews, meatballs and gravy.  Sometimes I would arrive home from work expecting the bean soup, only to find that friends had visited earlier and left very little.  Barely enough for a cup.  He tried so hard to get me home on time.  He also enjoyed grilling outside.  He was a master with Salmon and Swordfish.  He enjoyed a good cold, dark imported beer. In fact, that's how we met.  My girlfriend and I went to Bennigan's in Springfield, Delaware County.  We had signed up for their beer quest to try 100 different beers.  As you progressed through the levels, you could earn prizes like a T-shirt, hat, or beer glass.  Ted was there with his friend, doing the same quest.

Ted really enjoyed our road trips together.  We would drive along for 8 or 10 hours talking and laughing with one another.  The only time that we turned on the radio was to listen to the emergency channel flashing on a road sign about an accident ahead, which wasn't very often.  He especially liked New Hampshire where he thought about relocating to and working on the Cog Railway at Mt. Washington.  I finally convinced him that I thought NH was a bit too cold and snowy for us.  That was quite a task

since his love of trains was almost the same as his love of cars.  He had so many books and videos about trains that he could have started a small library.  We would spend hours at Borders either listening to music or looking through cookbooks, coffee table books, and audio books as he liked to listen to them while trying to fall asleep.  We always left Borders with an armful of goodies.

Another quality of Ted's was his ability to connect with the young and the old.  He would converse with anyone, regardless of age, about any topic.  He was never one to shy away from a good chat.  He even took delight in talking with the door-to-door preachers who knocked on our door to discuss the Bible.  He had a deep, soothing voice that always made you feel comfortable.  Ted frequently stopped at the chapel to pray.  He was a spiritual man and always felt better afterwards.

It's funny, as I sit here reminiscing about our life together, I keep going back to the first time that we met.  He gave me his business card with the front end of his 1968 Eldo on the front, and the rear end of the car on the back.  I wasn't impressed and asked if he had any sports cars. The look on his face was priceless!  He asked for my business card and inquired if my home number was on there.  Oh heck no.  But by the end of the night, I retrieved my card and noted my direct office number, the outside line that rang after hours, and my home number.  I explained that I worked 12 to 14-hour days and often went in on weekends, so I wasn't home much.  He promptly replied, stating that he does not leave messages on answering machines.  I just shrugged my shoulders and said oh well.  Two days later there was a message on my home phone.  He also wanted me to know that he wasn't one to send flowers.  We met at the beginning of February.  On Valentine's Day, a dozen long-stemmed red roses were delivered to my address.  He never again mentioned about what he would or would not do.  As he often said, he had found the love of his life.  And I had found My Honey … my Teddy Bear.

Ted is survived by his loving wife, Joann Walter (nee Gander); his daughter, Susan Tran and her partner, John McCaffrey; his son, Theodore E. Walter, Jr and his partner, Debbie Johanson; 4 Grandchildren, 5 Great Grandchildren; many friends and extended family members; one original of the original Tortie pussycats – Izzy, and a Tabby cat that he rescued down here – AJ.  He is predeceased by his parents, William T. Walter, Sr and Florence E. Walter (nee Katzan); his brother, William T. Walter, Jr.; his 2 Calicos – MommyKat and Katie, plus one Tortie – Blondie.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Faithful Friends Animal Society, 165 Airport Rd., New Castle, DE 19720

To sign the online guestbook, please click the tab marked "Guestbook".

Arrangements are by Matthews Bryson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Smyrna.