Ted Kuusisto Obituary

Ted Kuusisto

June 15, 1961 - May 9, 2025

Ted John Kuusisto was born on June 15, 1961, in Denver, CO, to Paul and Shirley Kuusisto. He passed away on May 9, 2025 at age 63. He was raised in Denver, CO, Hibbing, MN, Duluth, MN and Winona, MN with his three brothers and one sister. Ted went to the University of North Dakota and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Masters in Business Administration. He met LaRae Marie Varty at UND and they were married on September 28, 1985. After graduation, he was hired by the Department of Defense and became an Operations Research Analyst. His work took him from Texas to Virginia and then to Georgia. He received many awards and commendations over the years. He was one of the few who was able to pass the exam to become a Certified Professional Logistician. Some of his work was published in Logistics Spectrum magazine.

He was in the Army National Guard with his highest rank being Captain. During this time, Ted and his wife had two sons: Jason Paul Kuusisto and Jeremiah John Arthur Kuusisto. They were such a blessing and raising them made him both happy and proud. Some of his favorite past times over the years included travelling, racquetball, board games, trivia, Dad jokes, movies, and collecting things like fossils, comic books, and rocks. He spent many hours volunteering as a church trustee. He was a jack-of-all-trades who knew how to do almost anything, including carpentry, ceramic tiling, plumbing, and electrical work. He used these skills when he bought houses and worked as a landlord in Georgia for many years.

After retirement, he had stores on eBay and Amazon which kept him happily occupied. He was a cheerful optimist who loved to spoil his wife, children, and the family pets - a caring, loving person who put up with cancer and health problems for years with grace and patience. He loved his parents and siblings - visiting, working, and playing with them gave him so much joy. He was a humble, kind and gentle man of faith who will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

He is survived by his wife, LaRae; his sons: Jason and Jeremiah (Parkton, NC); his brothers: Gary Kuusisto (Hibbing, MN), Rick Kuusisto, married to Lynn Brom (Winona, MN), David Kuusisto, married to Julie Kuusisto (Hibbing, MN); and his sister: Lisa Leffel, married to Scott Leffel (Superior, WI). Special mention to a friend, Jason Williams (Memphis, TN).

The time and place for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.