Thomas "Ted" Denham

Thomas "Ted" Edwin Denham, 78, passed away on Sunday, July 24, 2016, in Sky Lakes Medical Center. He was born on Feb. 16, 1938, in Des Moines, Iowa. Ted loved his family and golf. He started out as a golf caddy at the age of 14, which then led him to his career as a golf instructor. He took pride in teaching and loved to go out and play golf with anyone. He was an easy man to become friends with. Ted's places of work included North Shore Golf Club; Ft. Lewis, Wash., Golf Course; Tacoma County Golf Club; Shield Crest Golf Course; and Harbor Links Golf Course. He taught at Zavichas Golf School for 26 years. Ted had the most beautiful, fluid and easy swing of anyone around. He was in the PGA for 50 years and was awarded a 50 year gold pin and competed against some of the greatest pros around. The great Ben Hogan followed him during a tournament. Some of his achievements included winning the Oregon Open and the Pacific Northwest in 1971 and the Pacific Northwest Assistant Championship in 1974 and being the low qualifier in the senior open from Washington in 1990 and 1991. No more birdies, Ted, but you can now soar like an eagle. His parents were Thomas Phillip Denham and Alice Odessa Fitzpatrick Denham. He had five children, PGA Phillip and wife Megume and granddaughter Grace of Okinawa, Japan, Kathy Clement and husband Dan of Idaho and Charles Denham of Idaho, Kristi Beal of North Carolina, and Kelly Denham (now deceased), and brother Rex and wife BJ. He also had grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Ted met Audrey, the love of his life in 1993 along with her family of three children, Rod Collier and wife Colleen, Yvonne Randolph and husband Greg, and Dianna and husband Gary, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Davenport's Chapel of the Good Shepherd took care of the arrangements. His memorial will be held at 1 p.m. Sept. 10 in New Horizon Christian Fellowship followed by a potluck. On Sept. 11, starting at 9 a.m., the Inaugural Ted Denham Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Harbor Links Golf Course. Those interested in signing up should contact Rex Denham at denhamdogs3@gmail.com or 707-834-4888.