Ted Steven Buczek

Ted Steven Buczek, age 76, of Moreland Hills, Ohio passed away peacefully on August 12, 2024 surrounded by his two daughters and former wife, Carol, following a brief illness while in the memory care unit of Hamlet at Chagrin Falls. He was born on December 30, 1947 in Rochester, New York and grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. 

Ted, a.k.a. JR, graduated from Academy High School in 1965 and then attended Ohio University where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. While attending OU, he and his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Carol, married and started a family. They were married for 32 years and remained close friends. Upon graduating from OU, Ted and his young family relocated to the Cleveland area where he accepted a job at Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation. He was soon hired as the Head of the Engineering Department with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and worked on the development of the Fabridam Project which cut down on storm and waste water pollution in the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie, and is still used today. In 1987, he became the City Engineer for the City of Solon and later Director of The Service Department for Shaker Heights. In 1997, Ted was elected to City Council for the Village of Moreland Hills where he proudly served for 22 years before retiring in 2019. He was a member and volunteer of Patriots of Change in Chagrin Falls and served as the Editor of the Buckeye Bulletin, a Publication of the Ohio Water Pollution Control Association. Ted went on to earn his Master's Degree in Public Works Administration from Cleveland State University. He did consultation work and was invited to Jordan in the Middle East where his engineering expertise was needed.

Ted was a very skillful craftsman and put those skills to use when he and his father built a summer cabin located on the Allegheny Reservoir in New York state. He learned to sail and spent more than 40 years sailing on the Reservoir. His love of sailing also included many sailing excursions on Lake Erie, nearby smaller lakes, and chartering sailboats where he sailed and navigated the Chesapeake Bay and the Florida Keys. Ted and his father then went on to build his home in Moreland Hills where he raised his family and lived for over 50 years. 

In his spare time, Ted was an avid reader, enjoyed solving crossword and Sudoku puzzles, playing racquetball and bridge, camping, downhill skiing, golf, and wine making. He was very handy and could fix anything. He spent time repairing and maintaining his cars, became a Master Plumber, and performed electrical work. He enjoyed traveling and became a world explorer visiting many places including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Peru, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Mexico, Chile, France, Italy, Canada, and many trips across the entire United States including Alaska and Hawaii. He enjoyed visiting and camping at national parks including The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. His love of music, especially jazz, took him to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Music Festival virtually every year for more than three decades. He particularly enjoyed Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis. 

Ted was a selfless man who would give you the shirt off his back. He enjoyed helping people and often went out of his way to do so. He was down-to-earth and always advocated for the working class and service workers. He loved to laugh and shared his good sense of humor and "dad" jokes with everyone. He was a hard worker with a thirst for knowledge. He lived by his motto, "Don't worry until you have to" because "it's a waste of time and it doesn't do you any good." 

He is preceded in death by his parents Ted T. and Mary Katherine "Kate" Buczek and favorite uncle Richard C. Hull. He is survived by his first wife and friend, Carol Buczek; two daughters, Shari Buczek of Bedford, Ohio and Julie Buczek of Erie, PA; five grandchildren, Gregory, Jessica, William, Summer, and Harley; one sister, Laureen Buczek and her husband, Peter Brydon; former sister-in-law, Deborah Zmyewski; aunt, Minette V. Hull; nephew and niece, Cody and Casey; former wife, Suksri; third wife, Myra; and many cousins. 

A memorial service was held in Ted's honor at Lang Pavilion in Moreland Hills on August 27, 2024. Arrangements were provided by All Ohio Cremation and Burial Society. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association online at www.alz.org condolences and special memories of Ted can be shared with his loved ones online at www.heritagecremationsociety.com