There will be no races held on October 11th so that PTSA members can attend the memorial service for Ted Pike, scheduled from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, October 11th, at the NW Maritime Center. Ted was an extraordinary mariner, and an extraordinary friend. No one had a better smile or gave it so often, or freely. Below is lovely remembrance of Ted by Anna Nasset in Three Sheets Northwest.
Ted in a PT11. Photo from the Port Townsend Watercraft blog, photo by Ashlyn Ecelberger Brown
On Monday, August 24, there were more tears on the docks of Port Townsend than the bay could possibly hold due to the passing of our beloved Ted Pike. Following a sudden illness, Edwin “Ted” Bertram Pike III passed on to other seas at the age of 65 (born January 25, 1950) surrounded by family and loved ones.
There are some lives that are impossible to sum up in words, and Ted’s is one of them. His reach was as vast as his love and zest for life. There is a giant “Ted” shaped hole in the hearts of thousands. I will try to honor our dear friend — the great ancient mariner, mentor, father, husband, friend and best hugger in the world — in all his glory.
Born in Berkeley, California to Edwin Bertram Pike, Jr. and Jane Parrish Pike, Ted was raised in Marin County and Lake Tahoe, California. Even as a young boy, his sisters remember how other children were drawn to Ted, gathering around him as he told stories, thus beginning a lifetime and legacy of being a great and grand storyteller to all he met. He had the unique ability of conveying experiences and tales with an almost childlike delight, yet layered into them great life lessons. Ted was the master of ceremonies for countless regattas over the years, the person to speak at funerals and memorials, a spokesmen for multiple companies, the person who could stand up in front of any amount of people in a situation that may be full of grief, or at great celebrations. He was THE person that could hold that space. This gift he had left an impact that spread through the many people Ted met in his lifetime.
Often Ted’s tales revealed his adventures throughout life. In the early years, Ted traveled throughout the U.S., Europe and Eastern Asia.