Ted Petz

Our beloved Ted passed away on July 16, 2019, at his apartment in Russell, Manitoba, at age 50, the result of a sudden brain bleed.

Ted is survived by his children, Sarah, Steven and Sasha, and Steven’s Lee; former wife Tricia; his parents Jim and Anne; his sister Terrie, and her son Ross, his wife Erika and their children Slater and Harper; his sister Cathy, and brother-in-law Ken, and their daughters Nikki, Lacy and Darcy; and his nieces and nephews Krista, Matthew, Josh, Avery, Aurey, Teague, Thaniel; and countless other friends and family members. 

His children will remember him as their goofy and giving father. Ted had his first daughter at just 21 and the role of father fit him like glove from day one. He was immensely proud of his children and had a genuine interest in anything they were doing.

Many others will remember him as the gifted, funny and hardworking teacher he was for many years. He taught for five years at Rossburn Collegiate and 10 years at Major Pratt School in Russell. He coached multiple sports including hockey, basketball and baseball. Many former students kept in contact with Ted. As well as to his own three kids, he was a father figure to many others.

Others will remember him as the gifted athlete he was. Outside of family, Ted’s greatest passion was sports, whether it was hockey, baseball, martial arts, football or golf. Ted played four years of MJHL hockey, where he was chosen as a member of the all-star team. He played on a Western Canadian Bantam baseball team. He instructed Tae Kwon Do for many years taking many students to their black belts, and received his Third Dan in the sport. For decades, he cheered for the Miami Dolphins, watching and travelling to many games with his children. He golfed on the Amateur PGA tour as well as caddied for Gary Christian on the PGA tour. He golfed 100’s of golf courses over this lifetime, many with his father Jim. He was a man of strong faith and heaven was the golf course for Ted. That’s probably where he is now.

Many people in Winnipeg will also remember him as a business owner, who ran four successful gyms in the city. Ted and Tricia opened the first Snap Fitness’s in Canada. He thoroughly enjoyed his second career and all the interesting people he got to meet and become friends with as a result. 

Those close to Ted knew his last few years were difficult for him, due to significant life changes and stress, all of which added to his struggle to battle the demon alcohol. However, being back in Russell, talking to old friends, teaching colleagues, and family was the beginning of a turn around, and a hopeful new life for Ted, which unfortunately now has been taken away.

But as the infamous Star Trek quote goes, “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life.” And maybe that was Ted’s life.

Though his friends and family are devastated by this sudden, tragic loss, we want to focus on the awesome person Ted was and what a gift it was to know and love him. Ted was an open minded, non-judgmental, genuine, kind, loving, and honest person. That’s how his friends and family will remember him, and how he would want to be remembered.