Graveside services with Honors for Ted Clinton Whitebread, 76, Lawrence, will be 2 pm, Friday, June 9, 2023, at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Ted Clinton Whitebread died Friday, May 26, 2023 at K.U. Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
He was born November 19, 1946 in Topeka, Kansas, the son of Freda and Chester Whitebread. He graduated from Lawrence High School in 1964 and went on to serve his country proudly in the Vietnam War, receiving two overseas bars, a Vietnam service medal, and a Vietnam campaign medal, before receiving an honorable discharge in 1972.
Upon returning to Lawrence he was employed by the University of Kansas working in their audio-visual department until his retirement in 2005.
He was married to Carolyn Ann Blunt in 1974 and they had a son, Aaron, born in 1976. Carolyn passed in 1982 and he remarried to Penny May Kaiser, and they had a son, Cory, born in 1984.
In his retirement Ted volunteered with Harvesters, and regularly worked blood drives and polling stations.
He is survived by his brothers, Chester Whitebread and Milton Whitebread, and his sons Aaron Whitebread and Cory Whitebread.
Aaron, I am very sad to have just seen Ted’s obituary. Jeff and I are sorry to have missed the chance to pay our respects. Warm wishes to you and your family.
Ted was one of my most favorite people ever. No matter what life threw at him he came out a grinning and happy in his own skin. He was my miracle man. Most people would have given up with most of the issues handed him. I know he is soaring high today and laughing his head off happy as can be. I will miss you sweet Ted, life on earth will not be the same without you friend!
My heart breaks for your family. Ted was such a wonderful man and dedicated volunteer. I’ll never forget his warm laugh and friendly smile. He would always arrive at the Lawrence mobile food distribution early to help make sure everyone was parked. His favorite role was to hand out the flowers in the middle of the line. It was always a sweet surprise for our neighbors. He was lovingly remembered today as we served 145 families in the rain.
Ted made me feel accepted and welcome. His warm kindness was easy to feel. May his memory always be a blessing.
Ted was a fixture at the American Red Cross blood drives for many years, cheerfully greeting all the blood donors at the registration table and working hard to ensure they had a wonderful experience while donating the gift of life. He had a kind and wonderful demeanor as well as a friendly disposition to everyone he encountered. When his health began to fail and he could no longer volunteer at the blood drives, he was incredibly missed by the donors as well as the other volunteers. Ted was selfless, always willing to lend a helping hand where needed. He may be gone but never forgotten. Ted made a huge impact and served our organization admirably. Simply put, we adored him and we thank him for his service. ~Jane Blocher, Executive Director, American Red Cross