Thomas “Ted” Edward CODE
Memorial Service
Sunday, December 11, 2022
1:00 p.m.
Morinville United Church
9610 Morinville Drive, Morinville, Alberta
Ted grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He was a choir and altar boy in the Anglican Church and spent much time at the family cottage on Gibson Lake, Ontario canoeing, fishing, and swimming. His mother taught him how to rebuild engines which began a life-long tinkering hobby. In his youth, he spent summers at Camp Tawingo doing multi-day canoe trips in Algonquin Park. These experiences were formative in Ted’s life and started a passion for the bush. He joined the Jr. Forest Rangers program in Kenora, Ontario.
Ted attended Northern Secondary School in Toronto where he was an enthusiastic member of the swim team. He attended Trent University where he graduated with a BSc. in Geography and Biology. Throughout university he continued to spend time canoeing and being in the bush. After university, Ted moved out west and settled in Alberta and started working with his brother Rob hauling gravel. During this time he also explored the Rocky Mountains and got into skiing, hiking, and ice climbing.
Ted got hired as a field biologist to study river otters from a remote cabin on Winifred Lake, Alberta. Through this work and at this time, Ted made life-long friends and met his soul mate, Louise. Louise was also a wildlife biologist. Ted and Louise moved in together in 1982 and lived in a tiny house near the University of Alberta jam packed with books, musical instruments, and two big German Shepherds. They married in a small ceremony with their parents present on New Years Eve in 1985 in Schenectady, New York.
Ted and Louise had a productive working life together. They started a consulting company and took contracts related to wildlife biology and environmental assessment. They moved to Morinville, Alberta in the late 1980s and quickly became involved in the community. Ted was elected to Town Council in 1992 and then served as Mayor of Morinville from 1995-2001. During his time as Mayor, Ted spearheaded the creation of a recycling program and secured a grant to build the Morinville Regional Recycling Centre. He was involved with local conservation and environmental initiatives as well as the Morinville Public Library. Ted helped start the Royal Canadian Cadet Corps in Morinville and served as a Cadet League Rep for many years. In 2001, Ted had the opportunity to visit Bosnia where many Canadian Peacekeepers were stationed, some of whom were from the Morinville area. Shortly thereafter, Ted was awarded the title of “Honorary Canadian Peacekeeper” of which he was quite honored and humbled by.
After his time in office, Ted worked for a company making insulated covers used to improve the energy efficiency of oil infrastructure. This work consistently took Ted away from home and Louise as most of the work was up North near Ft. McMurray. When Louise developed breast cancer, Ted promptly quit to be home with her and to support recovery. Louise recovered and the two of them decided to retire early and enjoy life together. Louise and Ted had a quarter section (lovingly referred to as “The Farm”) on which Louise had built a log cabin on in the 1970s. They split their time between being at The Farm, touring on their classic BMW motorcycle, and making annual trips to Sanibel Island, Florida where they had a beach side condo. Spending time with friends and family were a priority.
Tragically, Louise’s cancer returned and six years ago, she passed away. Ted never really recovered from this loss but did his best to carry on. He was incredibly generous with friends and enjoyed visitors, especially children, at The Farm. He mentored many young people and loved to impart his wisdom, skills, unwavering support, and several tall tales. One of these youth was Sabrena Code, the child of family friends (both since deceased) who Ted and Louise took under their wings since preschool. This relationship lasted throughout their lives and in 2019, Ted asked Sabrena if he could adopt her as an adult so they would have each other as family officially.
He continued to ride and tinker with his motorcycles as well as many other machines which he collected at The Farm. He also spent hundreds of hours restoring a vintage wooden boat with the assistance of his brother Peter, a master boat builder. Because of COVID and distance, the two spent hours on the phone and over Zoom on this project. In 2021, the boat was completed and Ted was incredibly proud of his “Eileen” (his Mother’s middle name). He loved to take friends out on the lake.
Ted will be remembered as one of the great storytellers, a dear and loyal friend, a thoughtful and generous soul, a mentor, a lover of nature, and an adventurer. He will be painfully missed.
Donations can be made in his name to the Alberta Fish and Game Association https://www.afga.org/
Condolences from Doug Horstman Jr., Katie, Abby and Elizabeth.
Ted will missed by all of us here in the states. We will always remember the love he had for Louise, my sister, and how he cared for her during her struggle with cancer. They often stopped in St. Louis to see our daughter’s family on their annual winter visits to Florida. After Louise passed, Ted joined all of us for a family celebration in Maine. Our grandkids remember him fondly.
Doug Horstman
Haymarket, VA
What a wonderful person he was! Having met him as teenagers in Toronto, through our years at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario and keeping touch through the decades since, I always felt he was a model of the goodness of the human spirit. Such a ready laugh, quiet wisdom, a lot of fun, and no prétentions, he was salt of the earth. RIP Lorraine Bennett. Vancouver BC
Ted Code was my friend and I am honoured by this. Ted and I, during 10 days in the spring of 1982, skied from Vermont Creek in the Purcell Mountain Range to Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park. We used nordic skis and only Jack Rabbit x-c wax (plus crampons for our boots). We were totally self-contained with no radio, no food-fuel cache, etc. It was a most “excellent adventure”. This was undoubtably our greats of several mountain adventures together. I have spent the last several days since learning of Ted’s imminent demise recalling our mountain adventures step by step as best I can thought the fog of time. I miss Ted so and am writing this whilst listening to “London Homesick Blues” that he often sang when we were together.
Ted Code was my. friend from our time together at Trent University. In the spring of 1982, during a ten day period, we skied from Vermont Creek in the Purcell Mountain Range to Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park (Selkirk Mountain Range). We used nordic skis and Jack Rabbit x-c wax (no climbing skins), were totally self-contained with no food-fuel cache and no radio etc. It was our greatest “most excellent adventure” together among several. I have spent the last several days since learning of Ted’s imminent demise in recalling our several mountain adventures step by step as best I can through the fog of time. I miss Ted intensely. As I write this I am listening to the song “London Homesick Blues” that he often sang during our time together.
Sorry to hear the sad news regarding my cousin Ted. Our thoughts are with all his family and friends. Unfortunately we won’t be with you in person but definitely in spirit. Certainly will remember the fun and adventures we shared especially involving tobogganing, skating, riding the subway and canoe trips.
Sorry for the families loss he will be missed
Heartfelt condolences to Ted’s family and community of friends; we first met in Toronto, 1974, through mutual friends and were housemates in 1976 @ Trent University. A life well lived and a job well done!
“fair winds and following seas”, my friend
Enid Gebbett
Abernethy/Perth/Scotland
Ted, I’m so glad we spent that two days together in May – our closest time in over 50 years. Gonna miss you.
Hi Tony- we had a great time growing up on Glenview Ave- I am living in Toronto-are you and family here as well? Catherine McPhun (Beatty)
Condolences from the Shapiros and Gugelevs.
I just learned of Ted’s passing from Janet Austin a lifelong friend of mine and someone Ted knew through his time at Trent. Ted was a neighbour of mine when we were kids growing up on Glenview Ave in Toronto. We remained friends through high school and went out on the occasional “date”. He was a funny, soft spoken person and he certainly led an amazing, interesting life. I am sorry to hear of his death and wish to send Rob, Peter and Sabrena my sincere condolences. Since learning of his passing I have been thinking of him and our Glenview days…Catherine McPhun ( Beatty)
David Morgan. Ted was a life long friend. We met briefly in Senior Public school (Glenview) and then spent 5 explorative years together in high school (Northern SS) in the 5 year science & technology program. We both made life long friends from our mostly all male class in which we called ourselves ‘The Boys’. Ted and I spent summers at our cottages on Gibson and Six Mile lake, Ted often canoed down to my cottage and I took our small boat up to a meeting spot near his parents cottage. I also spent a summer working with Ted at Six Mile’s provincial park. Following Ted into the cartage trucking business (GullyGage) where we both worked about a year prior to going on to further education. Further down the road we both shared a love for motorcycles – Ted fixed them up and I bought new ones. Both crossing the country to ride with each other and our wives. We also shared time in Florida as Ted and Louise would stop by our Florida winter home on their way to and from Sanibel. I know Ted was devastated this fall when hurricane Ian destroyed Louise’s and his winter get away to a place so unlike their life in Alberta. They loved the beaches and the bird sanctuaries and certainly the warmer weather. For sure losing Louise and now Sanibel just might have been too much. I’ll miss Ted a lot as often we spent long phone calls especially when we discovered FaceTime was free. Rest In Peace TED.
Dear Sabrena and Peter,
Thank you so much for making it possible for us to view Ted’s funeral and Celebrate of Life from far away in Columbus Ohio. My husband Byron and I met Ted and Louise over a decade ago on Sanibel Island where we vacationed every January. Louise and I shared music and shelling, and all 4 of us shared an appreciation of the natural world.
The last time we saw Ted was the January just before COVID. Ted’s time share ended a week before ours so he rented an extra week (paying for the largest unit which was all that was available) so he could spend the whole time with us.
One other memory I treasure from that vacation was a canoeing trip through Ding Darling Nature preserve. Because of my own limitations, I had not been able to do the trip for a few years. That year Ted made sure I got to canoe through the mangroves by doing all the paddling while I sat comfortably enjoying nature.
We miss Ted, and send you our condolences.
This evening, I was informed of the passing of my friend Ted Code. I am truly saddened by his passing and yet happy for his Spirit to soar with Louise.
He spent quality time with my children (Uncle Ted) as they grew up, whether “at the farm” or with the RCAC in Morinville. We had some great rides over the years as we were both involved with BMW motorcycles. However working at our respective jobs cut into a lot of quality time. We did find some time for coffee and a chat to catch up. I will miss him.
My Thoughts and Prayers for my friend Ted are given with my sincere Condolences.