James Edwin Catterton

James Edwin “Ted” Catterton 

March 7, 1936 -
October 19, 2020

Ted Catterton’s 84 years on this Earth were best characterized by dedication to family, service to others and duty to country. He was born in Washington D.C. near the end of the Great Depression and was raised in the multigenerational home of his grandparents in Arlington, Virginia. At the age of 14, Ted’s family was devastated by the sudden loss of his father. Ted took on the responsibility of helping to provide for his mother and sister and accepted the role as head of his family.A role he maintained in one form or another for more than 70 years.

May of 1954 marked Ted’s first date with his future wife, Fran. It was Fran’s Junior Prom and they danced the night away until the very end of the evening. They married in May of 1960, moved to Maryland and recently celebrated their 60^thWedding Anniversary. Their life together was one of total devotion, almost never spending even a day apart for more than six decades, and there was a lot of sailing, singing and dancing along the way.

Ted’s life was also marked by commitment to service to community and country. His time with the Boy Scouts of America was cut short by his need to go to work to provide for his family, but his drive to serve led him to the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department in Arlington, D.C. Air National Guard, The U.S. Air Force and also to be one of the early members of the National Security Agency.

Ted and Fran adopted two children, Susann (John Martino) and James “Jim” (Kelley Bayes). Together, Ted and Fran raised their children in Bowie, Maryland while Ted was serving his country as an analyst at the NSA, a career he maintained for 43 years. He balanced his duty to family and country by opting to head into the agency early in the morning so that he could return home with plenty of time to spend with young Jim and Susann and enjoy their activities.

Ted walked through life with a joyful attitude and a light heart. He was eager to offer a helping hand to all those around him, friends and strangers alike. He serenaded his family and friends, often singing, whistling or playing a musical instrument – just about any musical instrument. His love of music and dancing was matched by his love of sailing. Ted became a grandfather at age 70 and perhaps his greatest joy was spending time with his grandchildren (Jake, Thomas, James and Ann). From the time he became a grandfather until his recent illness made it impossible, Ted never missed seeing his grandchildren a single week often spending multiple days per week visiting his beloved grandchildren.

Ted Catterton lived a full and rich life. He will be dearly missed. His life as a husband, father, grandfather, veteran and patriot are a model to be admired and emulated.

Services will be private.

In lieu of flowers the family request that donations be made to Alzheimer’s Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Dr, Clarksburg MD 20871