Theodore Joseph Conti Sr.

Theodore Joseph Conti, Sr, Ted or T.J., to his family and friends left the building on Sunday, November 9, 2024 after a short illness. He was surrounded by family members in Fort Collins, Colorado when God called him home.

Ted was born in Davenport, Iowa on November 23, 1940 the first of three children of AJ and Esther Conti. The young family moved to Denver Colorado in 1941 where Ted was soon joined by his brother Dick and sister Kathy (Stolcis). Growing up in Denver Ted took full advantage of the nearby Rocky Mountains, becoming an avid skier, outdoorsman, accomplished fisherman, and an occasional hunter. Ted‘s father AJ owned a large plumbing contracting company and instilled in his boys a hardy work-ethic, love for family, and the outdoors.

After graduating from South high school in 1958, Ted first attended Colorado State University, but left to serve in the air national guard then returned to CSU where he met his wife Sarah “Sam” Griffith and married in 1964. He graduated college in 1966 with a degree in industrial construction management. His first job was at Gates Rubber Company where he worked until 1979. Ted and Sam raised their young family, Ted Junior and Catherine, in Littleton, Colorado and passed along a love of the outdoors by skiing, camping, and fishing with the family. Ted and Sam also worked at several ski areas as ski patrol volunteers from 65 to 79. In 1975 the pair was part of the Colorado delegation to the International Volunteer Ski Patrol conference in Wengen, Switzerland. A highlight of his skiing adventures.

In 1979 the Conti family moved to Durango, Colorado. Ted’s Durango adventures began at Ernst Engineering as a civil engineer working on projects ranging from ski area expansions, road and bridge construction, and commercial buildings throughout Southwest Colorado. In 1981 Ted started Systems Unlimited, with his then brother-in-law Warren “Griff“ Griffith, a solar energy design, manufacturing, and installation company. The partnership collapsed in 1984 and Ted joined the La Plata County Road and Bridge Department as an engineer and inspector.

Shortly after his divorce from Sam Conti in 1986 Ted left Durango and returned to Denver where he worked for Johns' Manville Corporation as a health and safety engineer and transitioned into the newly evolving world of online and computer-based education. Ted took his newly found passion to Red Rocks Community College, Jeppesen Aviation, and ended his professional career at his beloved CSU as a pioneer on the technology of bringing classrooms to computer screens.

In 1993, while on a diving expedition in Honduras, Ted became smitten with his dive partner from Ft. Collins, Susan (Bland). Susan finally said “yes” and the two were married on December 17,1994. Susan and Ted settled into their life in Ft Collins and enjoyed some traveling, gardening, grandkids, hobbies, and volunteering. In 2009 after retiring from CSU Ted completed his dream of building a small machine shop in his garage and provided services to a wide range of industries by doing small batch manufacturing and machining work. Ted continued to work in his garage on an almost daily basis until heart surgery in 2022 slowed him down enough to only allow him two days a week of garage time.

Ted also served his community volunteering for local amateur radio clubs, in his church, and at his shooting club. He will be remembered by family and friends as the first to offer up help to a neighbor needing a house repair or to shovel the snow from a walkway. He was affectionately referred to as the Neighborhood Watch go-to guy to borrow a tool or help fixing or building something. Ted had many talents creating, building and fixing anything. He was also an accomplished potter creating many beautiful pieces, some displayed in Santa Fe, NM. When he wasn’t on the go, which wasn’t often, he loved wood carving.

Ted will be remembered for his love of his family, his country and God. Ted is survived by his wife Susan, dog Martha Louise, son Ted Jr, daughter-in-law, Meg Brennan, daughter, Catherine Glieforst, son-in-law, Merle Glieforst stepsons Alan and Jeremy Bland, grandchildren Amelia and Reese Conti, Jae and Jamison Bland, brother Richard Conti and Sister Kathy Stolcis.

A celebration of life will be held at Ted and Susan’s recently purchased home in Windsor Colorado on what would’ve been his 84th birthday, November, 23rd.