Obituary of Theodore F. Elliott

Theodore Frederick Elliott Sidney, NY Dr. Theodore Frederick Elliott, age 100, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 9, 2014, at the New York State Veteran's home in Oxford, NY. Ted was born on November 5, 1913 to Frederick A. and Jessica M. (Watts) Elliott in Sidney, NY. Dr. Elliott graduated from Sidney High School in 1931 and from the University of Rochester in 1936, at which time he entered into optometric practice with his father in Sidney. Dr. Elliott practiced optometry for sixty years and also maintained a practice in Deposit, NY. In 1963, he earned his Doctor of Optometry degree from the New England College of Optometry in Boston. Ted was a World War II veteran, having served in the United States Army from 1942 to Nov. 1945. He rose to the rank of First Lieutenant in the Medical Administrative Corps with the 81st Field Hospital serving in England, France and Germany. The hospital was made up of 22 officers, 18 nurses and 186 enlisted men. Their patients were displaced persons released from German concentration camps and prisoner of war camps, and were of many nationalities. He received an honorable discharge from the service in November 1945. Dr. Elliott was married to Mary Joyce Sallust in March 1942. They were later divorced. Ted then married LaRue Haynie on June 7, 1946 in her home in Alamosa, CO. They were later sealed together and to their children, Nancy and Robert, as an eternal family on August 2, 1977 in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ted and LaRue were married for 63 years before LaRue died on June 28, 2009. Dr. Elliott had a long history of voluntary service. As a youth, he was active in Sidney's Methodist Youth Fellowship and was a leader in the regional Epworth League. Later, he served as Branch President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Oneonta, NY, and also as supervisor over the construction of the second phase of the church meetinghouse. For many years, he was Director of the church's Family History Center in Oneonta, which strengthened his already burgeoning interest in genealogy. He bought his first computer at age 80 and learned to use it for his genealogy work. He was also interested in photography and fishing. Many knew him through his entertaining presentations about the gun collection he inherited from his grandfather and father, sharpshooters "Captain A.B. and Son Freddy." He loved spending time at his cottage on Guilford Lake. He would swim, fish, boat, shoot targets and canoe there. He also enjoyed hosting family and friends at the lake. Dr. Elliott was actively involved in Sidney Investment Club. He was also a devoted member of the Rotary Club of Sidney from 1941-2014, and had 65 years of perfect attendance. He was a Paul Harris fellow in Rotary. In November 2013, to celebrate Ted's 100th birthday, the club held one of their weekly meetings at the Veterans' Home where Dr. Elliott recounted his famous "what happened in Sidney on the night I was born" story. At that time, he was also presented a special Vision 21 Community Pride Award. He will be installed as a member of the Sidney Central High School Wall of Fame during Alumni Weekend this year. Dr. Elliott is survived by his daughter, Nancy (Alden) Tueller, of Provo, UT; his son, Robert (Dorice Williams) Elliott of Lawrence, Kansas and his sister, Marjorie Elliott Rynas of Gaithersburg, MD. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Michael (Korina Lombardo) Tueller of Phoenix, AZ, Scot (Martha Riano) Tueller of Springville, UT, Lance (Valerie Nisson) Tueller of St. George, UT, Brooke Elliott DaCunha of Lawrence, KS, Jane Elliott (Artem Nadyeyev) of Columbus, OH, and Colin Elliott of San Francisco, CA., as well as six great-grandchildren, Peter, Jessica, Margaret, Laura, Ryder and Ryley Tueller. Funeral services will be held Friday, July 18, 2014 at 11 AM, at the United Methodist Church, 12 Liberty St., Sidney, NY. Viewings will be held on Thursday evening, July 17, from 7 to 9 PM and on Friday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at C. H. Landers Funeral Chapel, 21 Main St. Sidney. He will be buried with full military rites at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Sidney. Dr. Elliott will be missed very much, especially by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Condolences and memories can be shared with the family at www.landersfh.com. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that any desired donations be made to a favorite charity or to: the Rotary Youth Exchange at https://www.rotary.org/en/give or the LDS Church Humanitarian Fund or Missionary Fund at https://donate.lds.org/. Arrangements are under the direction of C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel, Sidney.