Nathaniel
Fred
"Ted"
Colby
Nathaniel F. (Ted) Colby
Soldier, Scholar, Politician and Author
July 5, 1936 – January 15, 2021
According to “The Howitzer,” his 1959 yearbook from West Point, Ted Colby was “known for his preference of…Admiral’s daughters…and sports cars" was said in jest. That he ended up marrying his lifetime love, Mary Grenfell, daughter of VADM Elton W. Grenfell, USN, a World War II hero, was the greatest highpoint of his life and the eventual source of his many other blessings. The sports car, he only briefly owned in Germany, but he kept on dreaming of once again owning and driving one. For the past few years, however, it was Mary who drove a sports car, a "James Bond 007 Limited Edition" of the BMW Z3. The “Howitzer” also said “Ted leaves West Point with an even stronger attachment to the military than when he entered.” Nothing truer could be said. His fondest memories were the times when he was with his Army comrades and the men he commanded. Later, even his dreams were often of those times at West Point and those with his soldiers. His connection with West Point was always very strong, as he had always felt a fondness and everlasting camaraderie with the United States Military Academy, its Corps of Cadets and especially his classmates. Throughout his military career and later on after retirement, he tried to live his life according to the West Point motto of Duty, Honor, Country.
He dearly loved the Army, particularly the Airborne, the Armor and the Cavalry. He was one of very few officers who changed branches from a combat support branch to a combat arms branch when he switched from Signal Corps to Armor. His first tour with Armor was in Korea, where he quickly went from platoon leader to company commander. There he served with well-qualified fellow junior officers like Gordon Sullivan who would someday become a full general and Chief of Staff of the Army. His next tour was with the Airborne, and he was sent to join the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, KY. Ted loved the Airborne in a special way. He didn’t particularly like to jump out of airplanes, but he loved to be with those who did. Several years later, in 1967, he requested duty in Vietnam and after harassing the Pentagon, was finally sent back to Ft. Campbell to train the men of the 3rd Battalion, 187th Airborne Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division for combat and, as their Operations Officer, took them to Vietnam. In the first part of his tour in Vietnam, he earned the coveted Combat Infantryman’s Badge. Later, he was posted in the 2nd Squadron, Airborne, 17th US Cavalry, at first as temporary commander and later as Executive Officer …this unit was to become his home regiment.
His tour in Vietnam earned him the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action, the Bronze Star with V for heroism with an Oak Leaf Cluster, an Air Medal with V for heroism with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with V for heroism with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm. He also earned five battle stars for the Vietnam Campaigns. Later on, he would be awarded the Legion of Merit and other awards for meritorious service.
Following a pleasant tour (kind of like being a civilian) at the University of Missouri- Rolla, MO, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering, he spent a short time in Washington with the Defense Nuclear Agency. He was later selected for the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and to command the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor in Germany. This command of a tank battalion was a high point in his career. Following that tour of command, he served as Chief of War Plans for the Seventh U.S. Corps in Germany under his former Squadron Commander from Vietnam, and now Corps Commander, LTG Julius Becton.
From Germany, Ted returned to the States and retired from Ft. Dix, NJ to a position with GPU Nuclear in Parsippany, NJ. He brought his family to live in Dover, NJ in 1981. Not to let grass grow under his feet and feeling the challenge to get involved in the community, he ran for Town Alderman of Dover and was twice elected to that Board. The Dover Republican Municipal Committee also elected him as their Chairman for almost a decade. He then served on the Dover Board of Zoning Adjustment and was appointed the town’s Coordinator of Emergency Management, and wrote the first State-approved Emergency Operations Plan for the Town of Dover. As a member of the vestry of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Dover, he was elected as a lay delegate to the Diocene Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. It was also during this period of his life that he returned to the classroom once more; this time to earn another Master’s Degree, an MBA in Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University. The Morris County Freeholders twice appointed Ted to serve on the Board of Trustees for the County College of Morris, and he was also appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of the Picatinny Innovation Center.
One year, the American Legion of Dover asked Ted to be the Grand Marshall for the Memorial Day Parade and he delivered the Memorial Day Address at Hurd Park across from his home on Baker Avenue. This was a great honor for him and he was very appreciative to the town for considering him worthy of the privilege. Almost every year on Memorial Day, he would show up in uniform at Hurd Park to commemorate the heroism of the brave soldiers from Dover who served and died. He has a brick engraved near the flagpole there.
When he finally retired a second time, Ted had time to write and publish a newsletter to the nuclear and airlines communities for two years. Later, he devoted all his time to writing fiction. He wrote two novels about espionage, The Kilyaikin File and To Catch a Fox, published in 2000 and 2003 respectively. Later on, in 2009, he published his third novel, The Armageddon Protocol. His last book was a historical novel which portrayed the life of Mary's Great-grandfather, Captain Stephen John Mulhall.
In late 2004, he and Mary moved to Portsmouth, Virginia where they built a new old Victorian house in Olde Towne Portsmouth and joined St. John's Church across the street. He was appointed to the Economic Development Authority of Portsmouth in 2009 to continue his community involvement.
Above all else, his greatest prides in life were his children and his grandchildren. He claimed five children including his foster daughter, BJ. His grandchildren numbered thirteen, which in this case seemed to be a lucky number for him. They gave him a great deal of pride and joy. “Not an ugly one in the bunch,” he used to say.
Ted Colby left us after dealing with advanced dementia and COVID-19. He will forever be remembered by his close friends, his West Point classmates, and his beloved family. Mary, his wife, partner, companion, and truly the love of his life, predeceased him by about three years. He is survived by his daughter and his best friend, Susan Vicedomini, Naples, FL; foster daughter, the wonderful Elizabeth (BJ) Mines, and his sons – whom he loved and whom he was so proud, Nathaniel Richard, Griswold, CT; Lindsey, Waterville, ME; and Joseph, Greensboro, NC. He is also survived by his much beloved thirteen grandchildren, Anita, Colleen, Daniel, Jeremy, Jessie, Martha, Mary, Nathaniel, Nicholas, Pete, Sarah, Stephen, Zachary and great grandchildren, Greyson, Jasper, Geno, Theodore and Colby; he truly loved them all. He always wanted them to know that he would forever be there for them should they need him.
The Lord never blessed Ted with a brother, he instead blessed him with half a thousand brothers who were his classmates at West Point; he never forgot that. He would have especially wanted to be remembered in terms of the words of the last verse of the West Point Alma Mater: “And when our work is done, our course on earth is run, may it be said ‘Well Done, Be thou at Peace’.”