Town volunteer, Navy veteran, electrical engineer
Ted Dillard (Courtesy photo)
Edward F. “Ted” Dillard of Harvard, 86, died Jan. 30, 2014. He was the husband of Bernardette Stein Dillard and passed away after a brief illness at the Concord Healthcare Center in Concord, Mass.
He was the son of Edward A. W. and Margaret Ford Dillard, also of Harvard, and is survived by daughter and son-in-law Martha Louise Dillard and Paul Norman Seaquist, of Topsham, Maine; son and daughter-in-law Edward Wynde and Teresa Marie Dillard of Dedham; and one grandson, Tyler Sheridan Dillard of Dedham. He is also survived by his brother Robert W. Dillard’s family: Mrs. Joan Dillard of Harvard; her daughters Susan, Elizabeth, and Sarah; her son Robert; and their families.
Ted was a graduate of Boston University and a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He served in the U.S. Navy with an honorable discharge in 1946. He was an electrical engineer and worked for the Massachusetts Electric System from his graduation until his retirement in 1992. A longtime resident of Harvard, Ted was active in the Harvard Boy Scouts and the Explorers, a president of the Leominster Rotary Club, an active volunteer for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and a volunteer on several town boards in Harvard. Ted was an avid golfer, sailor, hiker, woodworker, cook, and photographer. He held an active Amateur Radio license for more than 60 years, with the distinctive call sign “W1RPM.” Ted shared his interests with an infectious enthusiasm. He was a patient mentor and teacher to many, both in his profession and his passions.
A memorial service will be held at St. Andrews Church, 7 Faulkner St., Ayer, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, with a reception to follow. Donations should be made to the St. Andrews Outreach Fund in lieu of flowers. For information, see www.badgerfuneral.com.
