Theodore CANNELLA

CANNELLA, Theodore Frank "Ted" passed away on July 15, 2022, at the age of 77, leaving the world without its most beloved, soft-hearted, and utterly irreverent tough guy. Ted grew up in South Tampa as the son of a first-generation immigrant from Sicily and second-generation immigrant from Austurias, Spain. As a boy, he attended Christ the King, where he developed a faith that would be his rudder later in life, despite his distaste for rigid religion of any kind. Ted was the middle child of three and relentlessly doted upon by his loving mother. He spent his free time on Ballast Point pier, doing what he loved most, fishing. Ted was unusually gifted with both brains and brawn. At Jesuit High School, he was an honor roll student and starting fullback of the football team. As a result of his talents, Georgia Tech, among others, recruited him to play college football. Ted was a dead-ringer for Elvis in his college years. He reveled in the fact that most southerners never quite knew what to do with the Italian from Tampa with the greased-back hair. True to form, he eschewed what he viewed as the preppy and pretentious atmosphere of Greek life. He focused instead on playing guard for the Rambling Wreck and raising absolute hell with his extended football family. He graduated in 1966 with a degree in financial engineering from Georgia Tech and more epic stories than most people amass in a lifetime. Ted founded his own successful financial planning firm and took great pride in helping the people he cared about plan for the financial protection of their loved ones. He was generous, even when he didn't have much to give. When clients went through hard times, he was known to pay their life insurance premiums. When one of his "second sons" needed help, he paid for his private schooling. When one of his dear employees was in need, he bought her a car. If it was within his power to help you, Ted would. Nothing gave Ted more peace and happiness than fishing the backcountry of Pineland, Boca Grande, and Captiva. His dream was to live on the water and be able to fish whenever he wanted, and he had the good fortune to achieve that dream. He spent his happiest years living on Cabbage Key, where he had a front row seat to a beautiful mangrove sound every night next to his favorite person, his devoted wife Gigi. Guests walking down the nature trail could hear laughter and music coming from the house before it came into view. He and Gigi hosted countless guests at their happy home on the island, showering them with Jimmy Buffet music, Gi's excellent cooking, and Ted's legendary Caesar salads. There may have also been some alcohol or whatnot involved, but no one can really remember. Ted's marriage to Gigi was long and happy. They worked together, fished together, and weathered life's storms (including two actual hurricanes) together, hand in hand, inseparable until the very end. Ted was Gigi's fiercest protector and Gigi was his biggest cheerleader. They were also each other's best friends. Each knew instinctively what the other needed, a trait that shone brightly as Gi patiently and lovingly cared for him during his long illness. Laughter, a shared faith, and a refusal to sweat the small stuff was their secret recipe for a marriage that was both full of love and genuinely fun. Ted loved his family deeply. He did all the things that fathers do, of course: he coached little league, attended dance recitals, and stayed up till 3 am putting together doll houses and bicycles. But his unique style of love was to speak openly and honestly to his children, to admit his errors in life, to try to spare his own children from making the same mistakes he made. Although he only had two biological children, he was like a dad to many more. He took us fishing, philosophized with us, laughed with us, encouraged us, made fun of us, and loved us. His laugh, his foul language, his cunning wit, and his absurdly loud sneezes will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Ted is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Gwendolyn "Gigi" Cannella; daughter, Tedra Cannella and granddaughter Ella Hobson; son, Cash Cannella; brother, Norman Cannella Sr. and wife Susana; godson and nephew, Norman Cannella Jr. and family; nieces and nephews, Coco Grandy, Alexa Quesnel, Deanna Edwards, godson Chris Hudson, and their families; Leecy Bowden and family; and a host of ride-or-die friends that have been at his side for all manner of misbehavior since childhood. Mondy Flores, John Oliva, and Steve Malzone were also Ted's brothers, in the most important sense of the word. They share with his family the enormity of Ted's loss. Ted is preceded in death by his sister, Francine Cannella Hudson and parents, Angelina Suarez Cannella and Norman Onofrio Cannella. In honor of Ted's wishes, there will be no formal service to mark his passing. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mary Help of Christian in his memory. Or, do what Ted would do, and take someone you love fishing. Catch (and release) him a big one.