Morris, Edward "Ted" Starr Jr., 81, of Valrico, Florida, passed away on October 10, 2022, at St. Joesph's Hospital in the Hospice Unit after a brief illness and unexpected death.

Born and raised in Laconia, New Hampshire, he graduated from Laconia High School and went on to receive a degree from The University of New Hampshire, where he was a member of the snow ski team and Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.  Ted was also a water skier, who competed nationally and spent summers working professionally in both Canada and at Cypress Gardens.  After graduating, Ted spent three (3) years teaching high school mathematics and coached both golf and snow skiing.  Ted then started his career with IBM in 1966, where he met his wife while attending a training course.  After a brief courtship, they married in Reno, Nevada, and lived in St. Louis, Missouri prior to moving to Edmond, Oklahoma and finally settling in the Tampa Bay Area in 1982. He retired from IBM and then worked at AT&T for a few years before fully retiring.

Ted was a quiet, independent and very much loved friend in the many circles he travelled.  Ted continued to ski throughout his life and was an avid golfer and spent much of his free time doing Sudoko.  Ted and Betty enjoyed traveling throughout the world during retirement and so enjoyed the places they went and experiences they shared together - most recently spending time with friends and family in Georgia.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Jane Shannonhouse Morris and his brother, Gordon "Don" Morris.  Ted is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Elizabeth (Betty); his children, Michelle Ciolek and Edward "Ted" Morris (Stacey); grandchildren Kaitlyn Ciolek, Taylor Ciolek, Skylar Morris and Drake Morris; and brother, Mark Morris. His kindness and spirit will be remembered and missed by all those who knew him.

Ted's funeral mass will be on Friday, October 21, 2022, 10:30 a.m., at St. Stephen's Catholic Church.  A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 20, 2022, 4:30p.m. - 7 p.m., at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hope for Her, www.hopeforherfl.org .  Please visit the family's personalized online guestbook at the funeral home website.