Theodore Charles (Ted) Treadway, III

Theodore Charles (Ted) Treadway, III, of Little Rock died Wednesday, July 4, 2018. Ted was born in Little Rock on February 2, 1940, the son of Theodore Charles (Hunk) Treadway, Jr., and Margaret Winston Treadway. Ted grew up in Little Rock, graduating from Little Rock Central High School in 1958. In 1963, he graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, with a Bachelor of Science Business Administration with a degree in marketing and finance. Ted was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

Ted is preceded in death by his parents Theodore Charles (Hunk) Treadway, Jr., and Margaret Carroll (Winnie) Winston Treadway, his sister Carroll Treadway Hout, and his son Winston Theodore Treadway, who died in 2005 at the age of 38. Ted’s grandparents were Alice Grace Rae and Theodore Charles (Theo) Treadway, Sr. and Daisy Carroll and Ben Winston. Ted is survived by his wife, Lou Ellen East Treadway and his daughters Ellen East Treadway Engelke, Ph.D., (Ben) of Ozark, and Amy Nicol Treadway Iacaboni of Little Rock. He is also survived by his faithful companion, Daisy Grace, a clumber spaniel, who is named after his favorite grandmothers.

Ted and Lou Ellen met at Forest Park Elementary School at the age of nine and attended the same schools over the years. Ted and Lou Ellen were married on August 18, 1962, and they enjoyed a loving marriage with three adoring children. They remained best friends throughout his seventy-eight year life.

Ted was fourth generation owner and President of Treadway Electric Company, Inc., from 1962 until his retirement in 2005, when the company celebrated its 100th anniversary. Treadway Electric was founded in 1905 by Leo Treadway and his sons Theo and William. Theo and William were professors of electrical engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, when their father called them home to Little Rock to open a new business, which became the leader in the electrification of Arkansas. During his fifty-year career at Treadway Electric, Ted worked diligently to grow and improve the electrical industry in Arkansas. Ted was the co-founder and President of the Electrical League of Arkansas, Chair of the Southern Region of the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED), and national Vice President of NAED. In addition, Ted was co-founder and Chair of the Southern Independent Electrical Distributors (SIED), a buying cooperative for independent electrical distributors in the south. As the industry grew, Ted was active in the merging of SIED and the other United States cooperatives, which became The Independent Electrical Distributor (TIED), later rebranded as IMARK. Ted received numerous honors from electrical product manufacturers, and in 2005, he received the highest electrical industry award, the Arthur W. Hooper Award for Outstanding Electrical Distribution.

Ted was very active in the Little Rock community. He was a member of Rotary Club of Little Rock, Club 99, for over 30 years. Ted was a leader of the Boy Scouts of America Troop 27, where his son, Winston, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and together, they received the honor of Order of the Arrow. He also supported the Girl Scout troops of daughters, Ellen and Amy, in their camping and canoeing trips.

Ted was especially proud of his work with the Little Rock Sewer Commission, now called Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority, where he served on the board for 12 years, including a term as Board Chair. Ted was an avid supporter of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including the Psychiatric Research Institute, Family Home, Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, where his wife, Lou Ellen, has volunteered over 30 years. Ted served as a board member of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. In addition, Ted was an active supporter of the Little Rock Community Mental Health Center and the Kathleen Peek Apartments. After retirement, Ted volunteered at Stew Pot, located at the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Little Rock.

Ted was a fourth generation and lifetime member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Little Rock. He served his church community in a variety of leadership roles, including vestry member, Junior Warden, Sunday School teacher for thirty years, Superintendent of Sunday School and Board Member of the Cathedral School. His most enjoyable times working with the Church were outings to the Treadway Farm with the EYC Youth Ministry and Sunday School groups for picnics and scavenger hunts.

Ted’s happiest times were spent with his family and friends. He went duck hunting as a child with his father at Pin Oak Duck Club in De Witt, AR, and later he enjoyed hunting with his three children at Pin Oak. With his family and friends, Ted canoed the Buffalo River and fished at Lake Hamilton. Ted photographed nature, caught butterflies at Greers Ferry Lake, incubated duck eggs with his young children, and most recently, he loved watching and feeding the wild birds at the Little Red River in Heber Springs. Ted was a member of the Master Gardener program, with a natural ability to grow beautiful plants. Truly, Ted had a passion for animals, including dogs, cats, guinea hens, snakes and lizards, gerbils, and insects. Many of his friends thought of Ted as an amateur stand-up comedian, who was most animated telling stories of his adventures. Ted…what a good man…entrepreneur, friend, family man, and storyteller.

A funeral service to celebrate Ted’s life will be held at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on Monday, July 9 at 11:00 a.m. Immediately after the interment of Ted’s ashes in Treadway Garden, the family will receive friends at a reception in Morrison Hall. The officiants will be The Very Rev. Dr. Christoph Keller, III, and The Rev. Canon Dr. J. Russell Snapp. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Joel Bateman, Dave Crum, Hunter East, Jack East, Jack Milton East, James C. East, Ben Engelke, Joe Fox, John Hout, Paul Judge, Ed Mazetta, Alan Turner, David Turner and Dana Smith.

The family would like to thank the staff at the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging for their excellent care of Ted. Memorials may be made to Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, www.trinitylittlerock.org., and the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, www.aging.uams.edu.

Funeral arrangements provided by Ruebel Funeral Home. To sign the guest book, please go to ruebelfuneralhome.com.