Edwin Hart "Ted" Corlett

Edwin Hart Corlett passed away Wednesday morning, August 20, at the age of 94. Ted was born on September 28, 1930 in Oak Park, Illinois to Helen and Webster Corlett. He was the youngest of four children (siblings: Dave, Barb and Helen).

Ted is survived by his four children, Gail (Art), Ted Jr. (Melissa), Mary (Bill) and Nancy (Tom), 9 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. He was a compassionate, caring, intelligent man who deeply loved his family.

Ted lived in Oak Park and River Forest for the majority of his life. He graduated from OPRF High School in 1948. His grandfather, Edwin Hart Ehrman, graduated from the same high school in 1884. Ted went to the University of Michigan where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and received an engineering degree. Ted worked as a manufacturer's representative for several companies but he most enjoyed working with the physicists at Argon National Laboratories and Fermilab.

In 1952, he married Mary Lewis and they were together for over 46 wonderful years. They were members of the OPRF Tennis Club and the Presbyterian Church. Ted was a very involved father and said that raising children was lots of fun. He created backyard ice skating rinks, family trips around the US, Halloween costumes, and so much more. He was also involved in his children's scouting and little league groups.

Ted especially loved going to Douglas, Michigan where his family had had a compound since the early 1900s. Some of his favorite activities were sailing, water skiing and windsurfing on Lake Michigan in the summer, and cross-country skiing in the winter. He also enjoyed crewing and sailing in the Saugatuck Yacht Club races with both his father and his son. Ted was the club's Commadore for two years and he initiated the Youth Sailing Program there. His motto was "Never look back, they may be gaining".

Ted really liked being outdoors: working in the big barn, teaching his kids how to waterski, skeet shooting on Sundays, building a motorized cart for his children and grandchildren to drive around the compound, making campfires on the beach, and having gatherings with all the extended family who also had homes there. In his later years, you could find Ted with his glass of red wine, sitting in his hammock chair on the porch watching all the children play while chatting with people who stopped by.

Ted also loved to invent and develop products, then design and build the machinery to make them. He had four patents, most related to sailing, and also created websites. In his 80's, Ted helped two women, an OT and a PT, design, test and 3D print a handheld tool called the "Functional Hand" to assist children with CP, and adults with hand disabilities or impairments. As with some of his other products, it is distributed worldwide.

Arrangements are entrusted to Hallowell & James Funeral Home, Countryside at 708-352-6500.