Sheridan Ted Gashler
Sheridan Ted Gashler, 82, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 15, 2022, in Litchfield Park, Ariz. Ted was the third child of Alarich Franz Gashler and Hazelle Lucile Watkins.
Ted lived a life of purpose, driven by faith and an incredible work ethic. The core of his faith was love; for his family, especially his late wife Pamela, for his fellow man and for his God.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife and siblings: Daniel, Connie, Mavis, Leonard and Cordell and daughter Robin. He is survived by his children: Buck, Karl, Kurt, Connie, Daniel and David; grandchildren: Brian, Kyle, Rosa, Megan, Allie, Russell, Hannah, Jack, Sarah, Brock, Katie, Mark, Cash, Logan, Ciel, Georgina, Syrus, Tom, Samuel, Polina and Anastasia, and great-grandchildren: Clifften, Madilyn, Fielding, Orion, Cameron and Iris.
Ted spent the first five years of his life in Bisbee, Ariz. His earliest memories involved racing against the Arizona sun to finish the tall ice cream cones his father, who ran the Mountain Meadow Dairy, would scoop for him. The sun always won, but young Ted wasn’t deterred. As a teenager he developed a love for the production side of the dairy industry as he worked on a farm in San Jose, Calif. It was here that he set a California state high school record for running a mile in four minutes and twenty seconds, barefooted.
He later studied dairy science at Cal Poly Technical Institute and Utah State University, where he developed a lifelong passion for pursuing excellence in agriculture. He operated a dairy farm in California, a bull stud operation in Oregon (on a street aptly named ‘the Bullevard’) and another dairy farm in Wisconsin. He also raised sheep and made regional news headlines for trying to introduce escargot farming to Wisconsin in the late 1980’s. While the escargot lasted about as long as an Arizona ice cream cone, Ted never lost his tremendously focused and disciplined energy.
The source of his energy was the love he felt for others. Ted saw the best in people, frequently saying that we should treat others “as if they are champions.” As a people person he worked in all levels of education, from teaching high school agriculture courses, to working as the associate dean of agriculture at Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau. While at NTC he wrote several grants to USAID, one of which brought forty-five students from Poland to study in Wisconsin. From this experience he began volunteering as an agribusiness expert with an agency of USAID all over Eastern Europe and Central Asia. This led to a full-time job directing a USAID agency, Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA) in Macedonia and Ukraine during the early 1990’s as farmers transitioned from command economies to marketbased agriculture.
Ted was a loving husband and father and a pillar of strength to communities all over the world. He had tremendous faith in God and loved to quote Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,” putting special emphasis on “and lean not unto thine own understanding,” before continuing confidently with “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” In his service within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints he would often drive hundreds of miles per week to faithfully attend meetings and minister to those in need. He worked his best to magnify the Church responsibilities he was given, from co-teaching a children’s primary class in Albuquerque with his wife to presiding with her over a mission of the Church in Samara, Russia.
At the end of his life, Ted was surrounded by those who love him, happily sharing cow jokes with all who would listen. His legacy of love lives on in the hundreds of people who were blessed by his innate goodness.
The family would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to the staff at Windrose Assisted Living who provided care for Ted during the last months of his life.
Ted’s funeral was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 425 Estrella Parkway, Goodyear, Ariz., on Monday, May 23, 2022. A viewing was held at 8:30 a.m. followed by the funeral service at 9 a.m. and a grave service and dedication at 11:30 a.m. at West Resthaven Cemetery in Glendale, Ariz.
Paid obituary 121079
