Theodore Frederickson Obituary

Theodore Phillip Frederickson Jr., a resident of Tonganoxie, Kansas, passed away in hospice care on Monday, March 20, 2023. His devoted wife, son, and stepdaughter were at his side in his final moments. He was 78 years old.

Ted was born in San Francisco to Theodore P. Frederickson, Sr., and Valerie (Stahl). Two years later, the family moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota where he spent his childhood with his three siblings. After graduating from Grand Forks Central High School, he wisely observed that he had some maturing to do before going on to college. And so, he joined the army in 1963 and attended the Army Information School where he was assigned to the 32nd Artillery Brigade News as a reporter and Editor in Kaiserslautern, Germany. During his three years of military service, he gained discipline, developed an insatiable desire to explore the world, and discovered his life-long devotion to the art of good journalism-a devotion that would define his future career path.

After returning to Grand Forks, Ted earned his first degree, a B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Dakota in 1970. Later, he earned an M.A. in Journalism from American University in Washington, DC. As a reporter and editor, Ted honed his skills in newspapers such as The Washington Post and Minneapolis's Star Tribune. While working as the city editor for The Grand Forks Herald, he was often asked by his alma mater, UND, to visit and give lectures to journalism students. These lectures were so well-received, he was offered courses of his own, thus beginning his career in the classroom.

Alongside his love of teaching and journalism, Ted had a deep appreciation for the law. He enrolled in Georgetown Law School and completed his first two years there. However, financial constraints and a job offer prompted him to return to North Dakota, where he completed a Juris Doctorate at the UND in 1975. Ted's then-wife, Nancy Maxwell, also a lawyer, was o?ered a teaching position at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Kansas became and would remain Ted's home for the rest of his life. Son, Maxwell Frederickson, was born in 1983. The couple divorced in 1991.

During his tenure as a journalism professor, Ted's accomplishments included developing a freestanding media law course, co-authoring the Society of Professional Journalists National Code of Ethics, and being the first recipient of the Budig Teaching Professorship of Writing Award. Ted's passion for teaching depth reporting led to great success for KU students in the Hearst Awards (often called the 'College Pulitzers'). Under his guidance, the KU School of Journalism placed first in the Intercollegiate Writing Championship for three consecutive years. Ted spent thirty-one years devoted to student achievement at KU. He retired in 2011.

Ted's life changed when he met Merrilee Cooper, an elementary school teacher, in 1995. The couple married the following year and made their home in the countryside of Tonganoxie, Kansas, along with Merrilee's daughter, Chloé. He and Merrilee shared a love of travel, often to hiking or snorkeling destinations. Ted's first love was his family, but his second was definitely the cabin he built in the 80's on Balm Lake in Minnesota. Retirement meant many weeks of summer swimming, cribbage games with his best friend, David, and winter cross-country skiing. Ted was also a fine cook who took great pleasure in showing his love through special dinners made for family and friends.

Ted was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Mary Augustyn of Breckinridge, CO. Ted is survived by his wife, Merrilee Cooper; his son, Maxwell (Ashlee) of Kansas City, MO; brother Jon Frederickson (Teri) of Oakland, CA; brother Robert Frederickson of Phoenix, AZ; stepdaughter, Chloé Cooper Jones (Andrew) of Brooklyn, NY; and grandchildren Wolfgang Cooper Grossardt, Mildred Frederickson, and Matilda Frederickson.

To honor Ted's memory, donations can be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org.