Obituary of R.E. "Ted" Maitland

Ted  died peacefully at home on October 13, 2023, after a long and dignified struggle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. He is survived by his wife Nancy (Saunders), his daughter Sarah (Franco), sons Nicholas and Christopher (Heather) in South Africa, and seven  grandchildren - Grace and Lily in Vancouver,  Jason, David and Aiden in South Africa and Glenn and James in England; his sister, Isabel (Nick) in Jersey, two nieces, Fiona and Philippa; and his sister-in-law, Monika, in England. 

Ted was born in Jersey, Channel Islands, the son of Francis Gordon Maitland and Frances de Brissac Dickinson. He was predeceased by his parents in 1978 and 2006,  and his brother Malcolm in 2004.

Ted lived through the German Occupation of the Channel Islands in World War II, which marked him in many ways. After the war he attended St. Edward’s School in Oxford, where he excelled at rowing. He joined the Royal Marines in 1953 and attended the Royal Naval College at Greenwich. He served in Malta and Cypress and was seconded to a ski unit of the Lebanese army to work with patrols in the northern regions of the country.  

He became disillusioned with military life and left the service in 1957 when he emigrated to South Africa. There he earned accreditation as an industrial engineer and worked in the mining and textile industries. He emigrated to the United States in 1967 where he worked, and later studied anthropology at Oberlin College. He did archaeological field work in Israel, France and Alaska. After graduating from Oberlin, he completed graduate work in anthropology at SUNY Binghamton. 

Ted came to Canada in 1980 when he and Nancy were married. He continued to do archaeological field work in Alaska and taught anthropology in Wilfrid Laurier’s Continuing Education programme.  He later worked as a business analyst at Manulife Financial until his retirement in 1999. 

Ted enjoyed reading, writing, travel, gardening and his home. He loved life. He loved his family. He was a kind and gentle man. And a gentleman.

We are very grateful for the care of Dr. Luke Tan who visited Ted at home for three years.  He is everything a doctor should be. We could not have managed without the support of our Paramed PSWs, especially Wole, who cared for Ted so gently every day for almost three years. 

There will be a celebration of Ted's life when the family can all be together.  

Arrangements entrusted to the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, Waterloo  www.erbgood.com