Ted R. Ahlberg

Ted was a many faceted man and lived a very active life. He was an athlete, thespian, aviator, war hero, business man, entrepreneur, volunteer and a wonderful husband and father.

Born at home in Estacada, oregon, he was the first of four boys. As a young man, Ted was very involved with athletics-mostly football, basketball, track and golf with a little fast pitch soft ball thrown in. As a member of the Commerce High golf team in 1938, they won the Portland League golf championship. In 2005, this team was inducted into the Commerce-Cleveland High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ted continued to play golf until his late 70's. He was club champion at Green Meadows Golf and Country Club in 1971 when he was 51 and, in 1998, he shot a 78 when he was 78 years old. Pretty remarkable.

After graduation from high school, Ted became involved with the Studio Theatre in Portland. He was in four productions.

Ted enlisted in the Army after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and was accepted into Air Force pilot training. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Air Corp and flew B-24 bombers. He served in the European Theatre flying long range missions out of Italy to Germany, Austrian and southern France. Ted flew 35 combat missions and 15 support missions during his tour of duty.

On one mission to Northern Italy, Ted's plane lost 2 of the 4 engines, both on the same side of the aircraft. He was able to keep the plane airborne for 600 miles before finding a small field and bringing the plane in safely. For this, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Another mission close to Chrismas 1944 did not fare as well. Bad weather combined with a malfunctioning altimeter to result in a crash that cost three crew members their lives.

After the war, Ted returned home to his wife Veramay and daughter Suzanne. Four more children (Aprilanne, Theodore Jr, David and Douglas) were born to raise the Ahlberg count to seven. He lost Veramay to a lengthy illness in 1996 following 54 years of marriage.

Toy trains were his passion and he ran a related business out of his basement for several years. He was also one of the founding members of the Pacific Northwest of the Train Collectors Association.

His volunteer efforts benefited the Salvation Army, Goodwill, Kiwanis and the Luepke Senior Center in Vancouver, Washington.

In 1998, Cora Jackson came into his life. Cora and Ted had known each other through train collecting for years. They were married in 1998.

Ted lived a wonderful, full and active life. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.