Theodore “Ted” Tetreault, of North Fort Myers, Florida, formerly of Putnam, died Tuesday, November 27, 2007, surrounded by his beloved wife Geraldine C. (Bousquet) Tetreault and his loving family at the home of his son Robert Tetreault in Brooklyn, CT. He was 78. A Connecticut native, Ted was born in Putnam to Frank and Yvonne Tetreault. In 1947, Ted graduated from Putnam High School where he was a star athlete in football, basketball, and baseball. From 1947 to 1950, Ted served in the United States Navy at various postings around the U.S. After leaving the Navy in 1950, he served for several years in the Connecticut National Guard. From 1951-1953, he played running back for the Danielson Blackhawks, a semi-professional football team.
In January 1953, Ted married Gerry Bousquet and they took up residence in Putnam. The couple had four children. He worked for Peaslee Construction until 1955, when he took a job as a lineman for the Southern New England Telephone Company. From 1964 to 1969, Ted coached the Cubs’ Little League team in Putnam, where he served for two years as league vice president. Ted’s hobbies included sports of all kinds, especially football and softball. For many years, he played softball for local teams including Deary Brothers and Tarr Farms. Ted’s involvement with his sons’ sporting endeavors, which began even before Little League, continued, as both his sons became starting football players for Assumption College. Home or away, he never missed a game. Ted also enjoyed travel, dancing, golf, hunting, puzzles, and his much-prized pickup truck.
At SNET, Ted worked his way up from lineman to foreman. A career phone company man, Ted answered innumerable calls in the middle of the night to repair broken telephone poles. He retired from SNET in 1988 after thirty-three years of service. After his retirement, he and Gerry divided their time between summers with family in northeast Connecticut and winters at their home in North Fort Myers, Florida. In Florida, Ted indulged his interests in golf, dancing, and playing for the Lake Fairways softball team. In Danielson, Ted worked for Deary Gymnastics Supply from 2001 to 2007 doing a job that he enjoyed and for which he was much appreciated.
Always Number 11, sports were a constant in his life. Ted served as a leader and anchor for every sports team with which he was associated. Ted left his legacy of sporting accomplishments to his children and grandchildren, many of whom became outstanding athletes in their own right. He loved watching his children and grandchildren’s games. Well respected and much loved, Number 11 will be missed by all his relatives and friends.
Ted is survived by his wife of 54 years, Gerry; his son, Robert Tetreault and his wife, Ann, of Brooklyn, CT; his son, Scott Tetreault and his wife, Mary Ellen, of Dayville, CT; his daughter, Jacquelyn Hoffower of Woodstock, CT; his daughter, Joanne Tetreault Eldridge and her husband, Lance, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado; his granddaughter, Erica Murray and her husband, Chris, of Westport, MA; his grandson, Brian Tetreault, and his wife, Erika, of Framingham, MA; his grandson, Noel Watson, and his wife, Tamiko, of Revere, MA; his granddaughter, Eileen Tetreault, of Worcester, MA; his grandson, Second Lieutenant Michael Tetreault, USMC, of Quantico, VA; his grandsons, Marc and Luke Hoffower, of Woodstock, CT; two great-granddaughters; and three brothers-in-law and their families.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Ted’s family from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, on Friday November 30, 2007 in the Gilman Funeral Home, 104 Church Street, Putnam, CT. A gathering will begin at 9: 00am Saturday December 1, 2007 in the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am in St. Mary’s Church of the Visitation, 218 Providence Street, Putnam, CT. A private burial in Grove Street Cemetery will take place at a later date. Donations may be made to the Deary Memorial Cancer Fund, P.O. Box 632, Putnam, CT 06260, or St. Mary Church of the Visitation, 218 Providence Street, Putnam, CT 06260.
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