William Theodore (Ted) Carey Jr
Born on January 27, 1936 in Washington, D.C.
Passed on January 25, 2025 in Rockledge, Florida
William Theodore Carey Jr.
January 27, 1936-January 21, 2025
William Theodore (Ted) Carey Jr. died a few days before his 89th birthday. His faithful wife of 67 years, Patricia (Pat) Franson Carey, was by his side when he passed.
Ted Carey is also survived by three sons – Michael Theodore Carey (Lynn) of Melbourne, FL; David Bruce Carey (Sandi) of Canton, GA; and William Paul Carey (Alicia) of Nashville, TN. He is also survived by five grandchildren – Michelle Mello (Eric), Deborah Carey; Megan Allen (Daniel), Will Carey and Ben Carey – and three great grandchildren – Cooper Allen, Bowen Allen and Hayden Mello.
He was preceded in death by his father, William T. Carey (1903-1965), his mother Louis Dempsey Carey (1907-1998), and his younger brother George Garner Carey (1941-1984).
Ted was a graduate of George Washington University and worked as an engineer and later as an executive with NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, where he was involved in manned space flight programs including the Apollo lunar landing, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station. His final role was serving as the chief of staff for the office of Marshall’s director. Consequently, in the wake of the Challenger Explosion, Ted coordinated the visits of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Disaster, sometimes transporting dignitaries such as Neal Armstrong is his car.
Following his NASA retirement in 1988, he worked in Huntsville as an engineering management consultant for 12 years.
During the 43 years Ted and Pat lived in Huntsville, they were active members of Trinity Presbyterian Church and Faith Presbyterian Church. Ted was an elder, deacon and as a member of the camp committee at Camp Maranatha. He also served as the chair of building committees, the presbytery’s moderator, and as a commissioner to the General Assembly. He enjoyed his sons’ sporting events and choir performances – including quite a few Grissom High football games. He also loved to bass fish and would wake up when it was still dark to get an early start on his bass boat on Guntersville Lake.
Ted stayed busy in his retirement, volunteering with the Red Cross.
In 2003, Ted and Pat moved to Montreat, N.C., because they loved the Montreat Conference Center, the mountains and the community there. They became active members of the Christ’s Community Church. Ted volunteered at Montreat’s nature center and got a kick out of showing children the snakes and other animals. He also loved hiking – something he first discovered when he and Pat took his three sons to visit their grandmother in Gatlinburg, TN – which they did many times in the 1970s and 1980s.
Five years ago, Ted and Pat moved to the Highland Farms subdivision in Black Mountain, N.C. Two months ago, they moved to Melbourne, Florida to be closer to family.
Ted Carey was also a member of the Air National Guard from 1957 until 1958, where he was a mechanic.
Plans to celebrate Ted’s life will be announced later.
