AMBOY — Theodore Fredrick Leider, 80, died Monday, March 20, 2017 at his home.                                         

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, March 25, 2017, in St. Patrick Catholic Church in Amboy with the Rev. Timothy Draper, Pastor, officiating. Cremation will follow with private burial of cremains at a later date in Prairie Repose Cemetery in Amboy.  Visitation will be held from 9 – 10:30 a.m., on Saturday, in the Mihm-Jones Funeral Home in Amboy.

Ted was born June 26, 1936, and raised in Evanston, the son of Elmer Leider and Gladys Vanhalen. In 1956, he joined the US Army and was stationed in Germany where his unit, the 264th Field Artillery, 7th Army, was in charge of the Atomic Cannon. During this deployment, he also was on the 7th Army bowling team and traveled throughout Europe to other American military bases winning many awards for his unit. On Dec. 26, 1959, he married Edith Robbins in Amboy.

Upon the death of Edith's parents, he and Edith decided to move to the Robbins family farm near Amboy. After leaving the big city, Ted adjusted quite well to rural life where he and Edith raised two daughters and shared the joy of riding horses and improving the Robbins home and farm. In 2002, the farm was officially recognized as the Robbins-Leider Centennial Farm.

Ted was an active member of the community. He was a member of the Lions Club; owner and operator of Leider Excavating; Amboy Township Road Commissioner; and became a Local 150 Operating Engineer where he retired as a Gold Member and was recently honored with 45 years of service.  At the Local 150, Ted was a crane operator and worked on projects as diverse as the Byron Nuclear plant and Rockford Chrysler plant. Ted was extremely proud of his family's achievements and interest; he was especially pleased when his grandson, Brandon, chose to follow in his professional footsteps by joining the Local 150.

Ted's longtime passion was golf, which upon retirement, he enjoyed to the fullest: regularly escaping cold winters of Illinois for the sunshine of Arizona.  He was a diehard fan of the Chicago sports teams and was thrilled when the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.

He was preceded in death by his wife on Oct. 14, 2003; an infant daughter, Michelle Ruth, who died at birth; and siblings, Richard and Frank Leider. 

He is survived by two daughters, Lauren (Gary) Behnke and Jennifer (John) Poss; five grandchildren: Brandon, Leah and Alicia Poss and Travis and Nicholas Behnke; sisters, Marilyn Reynolds and Janet LeVine; and golfing companion and loving friend of many years, Donna Nass.

Gifts in Ted's memory may be given to Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund or Rock River Hospice.  Condolences may be sent online at www.thejonesfh.com.