TED CROFT

SPENCERVILLE — Ted L. Croft, 83, died at 5:24 p.m. July 24, 2015, at St. Rita's Medical Center from ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease, with his loving family at his side.

He was born Feb. 6, 1932, in Spencerville, to Forest and Ethel Marie Davenport Croft, who preceded him in death. On Nov. 15, 1966, he married Susan M. Simon, who survives.

Mr. Croft was a 1950 graduate of Spencerville High School and worked to become a Journeyman Machinist, having worked at the former Name Plate Co. as a foreman in Spencerville; then he was a Mobil Oil Distributor in the Lima area; then worked at Ex-Cell-O Corp. in Bluffton where he was past president of its United Auto Workers union Local 1327 and retired from the General Dynamics Lima Tank Plant in 2009, where he was past president of UAW Local 2075. He had also served as financial secretary for the Lima-Troy area UAW CAP Council.

He served in the Army during the Korean War and the National Guard and was a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Spencerville and was very active with new Spencerville Veterans Memorial. He loved to attend many of his grandchildren sporting events; fishing, hunting and snowmobiling and his deer hunting trips to West Virginia. He was recently recognized for his 50-year charter membership of the Northwest Ohio Field & Stream Association of Spencerville of which he was a past president.

Survivors include seven children, Deb (Forest) Hopkins, of Defiance, Pam (Mark) Phillips, of Cridersville, Craig (Janis) Croft, of Spencerville, Michael (Penny) Hall, of New Berlin, Wisconsin, Scott Croft, of Deerfield, Michigan, Tonya (Scott) Whittaker, of Elkhart, Indiana, and Tammy (Brian) Regedanz, of St . Marys; 15 grandchildren, Rochelle (Allie) Croft, Nicloe (Chase) Archer, Kayla (Anthony) Croft, Garrett (Katie) Croft, Joseph Oakman, Dustin Beutler, Zach Whittaker, Joanna Whittaker, Cory and Eric Phillips, Austin and Jerod Hopkins, Jenna and Jason Croft, and Leah Johnson; nine great-grandchildren; and two siblings, Ruth Stewart, of Lima, and Jay (Jan) Crof,t of Spencerville.

He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Laura Hopkins; and two siblings, Bonnie Whyman and Robert Croft.

Services will begin at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Thomas E. Bayliff Funeral Home in Spencerville, with military rites by Spencerville Veterans. The Rev. John G. Medaugh and the Rev. David W. Howell will officiate. Burial will be at a later date in Spencerville Cemetery.

Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday and after 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the NWO Field & Stream Association.

Condolences may be sent to tbayliff@woh.rr.com.