Theodore “Ted” Daniel Petranic, long-time resident of Reading, passed away peacefully with his loving family by his side on Thursday May 30, 2024 at the age of 87. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Ted was the eldest son of the late Theodore and Antoniette (Kasic) Petranic.
Ted was the treasured and loving husband of Muriel (Bardier) Petranic, his lifelong soulmate for over 57 years. He was the cherished big brother of Marie (Petranic) Power and her late husband Joseph, and of the late John Petranic and his late wife Mary Lee Petranic. Ted was the proud father of Sharon (Petranic) Barone and her husband Charles of Stoneham. His legacy will live on through his cherished grandsons, Vincent and Alex Barone, with whom he was blessed to share incredibly close relationships. Ted is also lovingly survived by several nieces, nephews and friends who will miss him dearly.
Ted was a 1955 graduate of Cathedral Latin High School (Cleveland) and a 1959 graduate of John Carroll University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Physics. In 1961 Ted moved to Massachusetts to begin a career that would span more than 50 years at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge. While at Draper, Ted contributed to numerous technical publications and received awards for his contributions as a physicist supporting Navy programs including Polaris, Poseidon and Trident. He had an incredible passion for his career and a work ethic that will forever be remembered.
Ted was loyal, warm, selfless and kind, always doing whatever he could to help others. He had a terrific, albeit often goofy, sense of humor and loved to make others smile. He treasured spending time with his family and celebrating any special day or event. He was always behind a camera taking pictures to document the moments that were so special to him. Ted enjoyed reading and watching sports, especially baseball and basketball. He loved to travel with his family and friends. He had the good fortune of visiting more than thirty countries during his life. Some of his favorite travels included Egypt, Switzerland, Argentina and family trips to Costa Rica, the New Hampshire White Mountains and the Caribbean.
Family and friends are cordially invited to gather and share memories with Ted’s family on Thursday from 9-10am in Saint Patrick Church, 71 Central Street, Stoneham. A funeral mass celebrating Ted’s Eternal Life will be held immediately afterward in Saint Patrick Church, 71 Central Street, Stoneham at 10:00am. Interment will be in Wood End Cemetery, Franklin St, Reading.
Remembrances may be made in Ted’s memory to the MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory Aging Brain Initiative Fund, 43 Vassar St Bldg 46-1303, Cambridge, MA 02139, or https://picower@mit.edu.
