Theodore “Ted” Zanidakis, 85, of New Hope, PA, died on Monday, January 8, 2024 at the Buckingham Valley Care Center, Newtown, PA. He was 85 years old.
Ted’s parents, George and Arhontia (nee Mikedakis) Zanidakis, emigrated from the Greek city of Smyrna in Asia Minor. They arrived in America circa 1918 - 1919. And they were married circa 1937.
Ted was born on November 5, 1938 in Elizabeth, NJ, where he grew up and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1957. He was employed as a metalworker at the Elizabeth Plate Glass Co. And taking Engineering courses at night at Union Junior College in Cranford, NJ. August 1960, Ted enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. After basic training, he was assigned to Chanute AFB Technical Training Center (Illinois). He graduated Radar school at the top of his class. He was assigned to Dow AFB in Bangor, Maine in the Summer of 1961. The Spring of 1963, he was transferred back to Chanute AFB, as an instructor in Electronics & Radar Systems. In August 1964, he was Honorably Discharged from the Air Force.
In Nov. 1964 he was hired as an Electronics Technician at Bell Labs in Holmdel, NJ in the Data Communications Dept. His career at Bell Labs was outstanding and he was promoted to Senior Engineer as a result of his Data Communications Modem designs in which he received several Patents and Copyrights. He was transferred from Bell Labs to AT&T in 1988. He retired in 1991.
Ted was previously married to Jean Rollins of Rockland, ME in 1965; their daughter, Zoe Ann, was born in in 1966. In 1990, Ted met Charlotte Cooney on the Greek Island of Mykonos in the Aegean Sea. They were married in the Princeton University Chapel in August 1998 and at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in October 1998.They lived in Lawrenceville, NJ prior to moving to New Hope, PA in 2002.
Ted’s favorite sports are baseball and tennis. He played baseball in his younger days along with playing tennis all his life since his college days. Ted published numerous articles regarding sports and sports cards.
Surviving Ted are his wife Charlotte, daughter, Zoe Zanidakis in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, grandson, Ron Peterson, his wife, Lucy, and great-granddaughter, Julia Persephone, in Cumberland, ME, his sister Despina Samaras of Hackettstown, NJ. In addition to nephew, Arthur Samaras and his family in Long Valley, NJ and his niece, Nina, in Hamilton Twp., NJ. Also, survived are Douglas and Tonamarie Cooney, Katy, TX, Olivia Cooney in Dallas, TX and Joseph Cooney, Katy, TX. Ted is also survived by numerous dear friends in the U.S. and relatives in Greece.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Anna’s Greek Orthodox Church, 85 Voorhees Corner Road, Flemington, NJ 08822.
Interment will be private.
There will be visitation at the church on Thursday morning from 10:30 a.m. prior to the start of services.
Donations in Ted’s memory may be made to the charity of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Van Horn-McDonough Funeral Home, 21 York Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530.
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