On the passing of a beloved teacher, and friend, Ted White...

Jim Maloy learned from Frank Colega yesterday that Ted White had entered a hospice facility, and actually passed away last evening.

He had been in the hospital since Holy Thursday, over a month with complications: his heart was bad, breathing was difficult, not getting enough oxygen; had a pace maker put in, but never really recovered. He spent the last 4 days in Hospice and died last night. Frank says that there will be a memorial service at St. Pius X, far enough into the future to allow out of towners to attend (Frank guessed a week to ten days).

I recalled my father’s note on my 20th birthday, "May you come to know all the ingredients of 'the good life', of which good eating is one of the more tangible aspects."

In addition to introducing me to new culinary delights, Ted was one of the first teachers to gently nudge me toward many other aspects of “the good life” – music, singing, theater, service to others, , etc. He was always urging us to try new things, like when he told me that I would be dancing the sword dance in “Brigadoon”! He just told me that I would do it, and I did – to the amazement of myself, my entire family, and certainly my classmates!?!

There’s an old Chinese Proverb that says, “Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.” While that may be true in most cases, I will be forever grateful for the extra confidence, and gentle nudges, that Ted White provided throughout our years together at Pittsburgh’s South Hills Catholic High School. I would not be where I am today without his invaluable guidance and love during those formative years.