Ted Legate II

Ted Legate II

Long-time Kearney resident Ted Legate II passed away peacefully at Good Samaritan Hospital on March 27. Cause of death was complications of cardiac arrest.

Ted was the son of Ted and Mary Legate who moved to Kearney from Ogallala in 1974. Born in Columbus, Nebraska, Ted spent much of his youth in Ogallala but graduated from Kearney High School. He attended Kearney State College where he lettered in swimming and earned a degree in Education.

For years, Ted was a fixture at Earl May Garden Center where he was known for his creative garden installations. He loved animals, garage sales, buying and selling antiques and collecting assorted oddities. Ted also struggled mightily with alcoholism, a disease that contributed to his death.

Ted is survived by sisters Patricia Stejskal of Ann Arbor, Michigan and Penny LeGate of Seattle, Washington as well as brothers-in-law Greg Stejskal and Craig Tall, nieces Taryn Stejskal, Molly Williams, and nephew Andrew Stejskal.

A celebration of life is pending. Interment will be at

Wymore Cemetery, Wymore, Nebraska. The family sincerely thanks all the wonderful nurses, attendants, and doctors at Good Samaritan Hospital for their compassionate care.

Memorial donations may be made to the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation or the Kearney

Area Animal Shelter. May no one ever forget how Ted had a wonderful ability to make people laugh. So, a fitting quote here from Shakespeare's "Hamlet"-- where Hamlet is pondering the skull of his friend Yorik: "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio. A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."