Ted Shipper

Ted Kent Shipper, 56, of Beaumont, passed away Thursday, February 1, 2018, after a 6-month battle with cancer. He was born on April 17, 1961, to Kenneth Shipper, and Elizabeth Ammons Shipper, in Anahuac, Texas.

Ted was named after the famous baseball player, Ted Williams. In his formative years, Ted was interested in sports & judo. In his teen years, he could be found on the Neches River doing what he loved (water skiing and knee boarding.) He even landed an ariel kneeboard photo in a magazine with his talent.

Ted graduated from West Brook High School in 1979, and graduated from College of Technical Arts (Lamar University) with a two-year Machine Tools degree in 1981. When Ted walked across the stage to receive his college degree, his father, the Dean of College of Technical Arts, was there to proudly hand Ted his diploma.

Ted worked for Oil City Brass and Ideco as a machinist. After the oil crisis finally hit Texas, causing layoffs, Ted changed his career from machinist to upholsterer in 1983. He began as a helper at Master Craft upholstery shop. After quickly learning the trade, he later worked for Kirby Upholstery. In 1990, he opened his own upholstery shop, Ted’s Upholstery, on College St. where he served our community for 27 years. He was a true master craftsman and loved his work. He was known as the best upholsterer in the region, and was highly sought after.

In 1984, Ted entered his only marriage with Barbara Joan Wood. Their first date was water skiing on the Neches. Together, the couple had two children, Tiffany and Timothy “Dean”. Ted loved his wife and children very much. He was very involved in all of his children’s sports & other various activities. He never missed any of Tiffany’s basketball games, or any of Dean’s chess tournaments. He was very proud of both of them. Ted and Barbara were also blessed with three wonderful grandsons, Eddie, Peter, and Julius. Ted loved them greatly and was truly the greatest Grandad in the world. Ted respected his elders and was a family man who enjoyed taking the family on many camping/boating trips, which included the annual Easter camping family reunion and the annual Lowery family reunion. Later in life, he enjoyed vacationing around the country to visit relatives. Ted enjoyed playing dominoes, specifically 42 and 84, and family card games, Contract Rummy, Setback, and Spades. He had a bountiful garden and was Mr. Fix It. He also enjoyed car shows and was very proud of his 1931 Chevy that he restored, which has the original engine and still runs today. It once belonged to his Grandpa Harold who won it in a poker game.

Ted is survived by his mother, Elizabeth Ammons Strickland; father, Kenneth Shipper, and his wife, Robbie; wife, Barbara Shipper; daughter, Tiffany April Coronado and her husband, Steven; son, Timothy “Dean” Shipper and his wife, Fatimah Elnashar; 3 grandsons, Eddie, Peter, and Julius Coronado; brothers, Stanley Shipper and his wife, Lynea; Greg Shipper and his wife, Haunani; sister, Cindy McMurrey and her husband, Nick; and many nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

A gathering of Mr. Shipper’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., with a Time for Sharing to begin at 6:30 p.m., Friday, February 9, 2018, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. His funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, February 10, 2018, at Broussard’s, with interment to follow at Haven of Rest, Beaumont.

We invite you to celebrate Ted’s life, and as Ted would often say, “It helps to have an attitude of gratitude.”