Theadore E. Ziemba, 75, of Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, formerly of Downsville, passed away May 5, 2024, at the NHC Dickson skilled nursing facility after battling kidney disease and other illnesses.
Teddy was born May 22, 1948, in St. Barnabas Hospital in West Orange, New Jersey, the first son of Edward and Jacqueline Ziemba. He attended West Orange High School, graduating in 1966, and graduated Montclair State College in 1970 with a teaching degree. In 1971, he married Priscilla Shields in Saugerties, where they had two daughters, Amber and Denielle. They moved to Downsville in 1976. He owned and operated Ted’s Arco in Downsville for several years.
Over the years he had been a teacher, a mechanic, an ARCA pit crew member and an early adopter of new technology, including being on the internet in the early 1980s, programming spelling practice tests for his daughters and creating websites.
Ted later moved to Florida, living in Englewood and Venice, before meeting his future wife, Suzy Ward. They moved to North Port, Florida, and were married in their living room, she wearing her nurse whites and he wearing a NASCAR racing T-shirt, in 1989.
They moved to Cumberland Furnace in 2006 to be equidistant to their children.
Teddy was predeceased by his parents and his wife, Suzy.
He is survived by his children and their families, Amber and Richard DiTullio and children Theadore and Peter of Nashville, Tennessee, and Denielle and Michael Cazzolla and children Gabriel and Mikayla of Downsville; his stepson and his family, Chris and Kimberly Ward and child Katy Smith of Sanford, Florida; and his siblings Judy Smith of Keeseville, Robert and Marcy Ziemba of Mooers, Keith and Nancy Ziemba of California, and John and Laura Ziemba of Downsville. He is also survived by his step-grandchildren Travis and Kelsee Ward and their children; Cheyanne Ward and her child; Robbie and Elijah Broyles; David Ward and his child; April and her child; Dale (DJ); and Caroline Ward; and friends PattyAnn and Jason Summers; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
A memorial service will be held in Downsville this summer. Contributions in his memory may be made to the NASCAR Foundation, 1 Daytona Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL, 32114, or the National Kidney Foundation, 30 E. 33rd St., New York, NY 10016-5337.
