Ted Hochhalter

Ted Hochhalter, 78, Bismarck, went to be with the Lord on Friday, August 18, 2017, at CHI St. Alexius, due to complications of lung cancer. Services will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, August 24, at Century Baptist Church, 205 Colt Ave., Bismarck, with Rev. Bryan Hochhalter and Rev. Greg Hochhalter officiating. Burial will be held at 2:00 pm at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Wednesday, August 23, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a Time of Sharing will begin at 7:00 pm. Ted was born in Bismarck, ND, on January 16, 1939, to Fredrick and Louisa (Koenig) Hochhalter. He graduated from Bismarck High School in 1957 and attended Bismarck Junior College. He joined the Army National Guard in 1956, obtaining the rank of Sergeant First Class E-7. His unit, the HHC 131st Engineer BN (C) (A), was on alert during the Berlin Crisis. He was honorably discharged in 1964. Ted was a hard worker. As a 12-year-old, he helped his parents with maintenance work at 1st National Bank and also had a shoe shine shop in a local barbershop. During high school, Ted installed TV antennas which led to him becoming part-owner of Capital TV and Radio. He enjoyed electronics and was mostly self-taught. In 1966, Ted went to work in the Fargo sales office of Bristol Distributing. In 1969, he returned to Bismarck where he worked as a traveling salesman covering central and western North Dakota and eastern Montana. In 1971, he received the award for Motorola Outstanding Sales. He also worked for several local car dealerships during his sales career. His love for and ability with people made sales his gift! The highlight of Ted’s career was his 14-plus years working for Eastgate Funeral Service. He loved serving the people in the community as well as the camaraderie of the funeral home staff. Ted had a heart of compassion for a job he truly loved and the people he was able to comfort. During the harvest season, Ted could be found helping at the Celley Farms providing shuttle service to and from the fields, swathing and hauling grain, and also keeping everyone entertained with his humor and smiles. He enjoyed many special hours riding copilot in the combine with Aaron and sometimes Alison. Ted loved southern Gospel music and in 2016 was able to fulfill his wish of going on a Gospel Music Celebration cruise to the Caribbean with his wife and daughter. A favorite pastime was putting together jigsaw puzzles, often working on them into the wee hours of the morning. Ted also spent much of his life in service in his local church. He was involved in church music ministry, choir, male quartet, and served on various boards and committees. Ted enjoyed life to the fullest! He had a great sense of humor and loved family gatherings. He was the “Super Fan” for his grandchildren’s activities. Most recently, the addition of great-granddaughter, Elliot Louise Hein, brought many smiles, especially in recent days. He was blessed to have them all nearby. On October 29, 1960, Ted married Eileen Will, his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, in Bismarck. Ted was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend to many. He will be greatly missed by his wife, Eileen, Bismarck; his daughter, Tammy Celley; daughter-in-law, Kelly; son-in-law, Roland Celley, Jr.; his grandchildren, Aaron Celley (special friend, Amber James), Alison (Frank) Hein, Ty Hochhalter (special friend, Morgan Ohnell); great-granddaughter, Elliot Hein; sisters-in-law, Darlene Hochhalter, ID, and Dar Hoover, Bismarck; his wife’s brother, Dan (Donna) Will and sisters, Diane (Curt) Boutilier, Marjie (Allen) Schirado, Patty (Rick) Steinert; as well as many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and wonderful friends. He was preceded in death by his son, Mike; his parents; his sisters, Leona Giedd and Ruth Case; and his brothers, Edwin, Ruben, and Milt.