Passing of Ted Sanderson

[joe henslee]

I just learned last nite of Ted's passing. To you NOT so old timers around ETR, Ted was a contributor to ETR and SCCA for many years. I first met Ted at MY first autocross at Chilhowee Park in 1967, where he signed my Regional Membership / Autocrossing "License". He served in many capacities thru the years in our Region. In the mid-seventies, Ted was diagnoised with MS. A fund-raising autocross was held in his name back then, at the then "Datsun" dealership on Alcoa Hwy. A Datsun roadracer by the name of Jim Fitzgerald brought his Z race car and himself to support and bring attention to this event for Ted. Over the years, Ted had many experimental surgeries to attempt to provide relief from this debilitating disease. Never the less, Ted continued to develop his racing cars, FV's, C-sportsracing, competing almost every year at the Runoffs at Road Atlanta as his health permitted. One thing that was always a constant ....... his wonderful mate, his wife Regina, was always at his side. She did alot of the fiberglass on the racecars.
Ted traveled to Road Atlanta with me and my family one race weekend in the late 80's to assist with the Zink Formula Ford. He could hardly walk ....did so with his homemade crutch (welded steel tubing and rollbar padding....I believe Ted built most everything he had from scratch), but in order to "wrench" on the Ford, had to sit or laydown. As he stumbed over to the car, and basically fell to the ground, an observer, not knowing Ted, whispered to me "....has he been drinking ....do you really want him touching your car .....". I laughed, and said he was fine. Ted had also heard the "whisper" comment and responed with a smile and a little laugh and said "this is a GOOD DAY....I'm moving around". The last time I saw Ted, was at the SARRC Invitational in Nov 1991. He and Reg were on the way to Florida (as I recall ???) for a vacation. It was a great priviledge and honor to have known Ted, Regina, and sons Art and Steven(Steven had passed away at a younger life to cancer). A remarkable engineer with a terffic attitude and a great friend. With deepest sympathy to Regina and his son Art and his family. God speed. You will all be in our thoughts and prayers. Joe