Loyal Edward Pumphrey was born on June 23, 1924, in Fullerton California to Jefferson Monroe Pumphrey and Ruth Alice Quinn. His mother named him Edward after the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII but everyone called him Ted.
Ted grew up during the 20’s and 30’s as normal as any boy at time did in California. Those times were tough for families who worked in the oil fields of Southern California. Ted did not have a close relationship with his dad. As an example, little Ted came up to his dad while he and his buddies were playing cards to ask him a question and his dad just blew cigar smoke into his face while he and his buddies laughed. One time he visited his grandmother Harriet who had been born in 1866. He had just come back from school, and she asked him what he had learned that day. Ted informed her that they had been taught that the world was round. Grandma Harriet told him that was nonsense because the world was flat. Ted loved the ocean. Somehow, he found ways to get to the beach where he could swim and body surf in the waves. When he was in high school, Ted joined the swim team.
After Pearl Harbor was bombed Ted went downtown to join the Navy. When he arrived at the Naval recruiting office, he saw that the line extended around the block, but he noticed there was no line for the Marines, so he became a Marine. With tears in his eyes, he told me of a time during boot camp when he was given some leave time down in San Diego. He wanted to take a girl to a local dance, so he called his dad to ask for the car. His father drove his car 100 miles from Fullerton to San Diego, left Ted the car and took a bus home. Dad said, “he didn’t have to do that and at the time I didn’t fully appreciate it”. In the Marines, Ted took an aptitude test that discovered that he was especially good with electronics, so he was made a radioman and sent to Texas to learn about radar. During the war, Ted was sent in after the marines took an island to set up the radio and radar installations. At the end of the war, he was on a transport ship heading to China when the ship ran into a typhoon. During the typhoon, nearly everyone became seasick except for Ted. Since everyone was sick below decks, Ted decided to sleep the night in his covered truck that was chained to the deck of the ship.
After the war, Ted went to college but stayed only for two years to get his associate degree. He worked for several high-tech companies throughout his career, eventually becoming an EMF expert. During the 1960’s, he worked for Rockwell Davis on the Apollo space craft. As with all government contract jobs there are many layoffs from time to time. In one layoff period, his name was on the reduction list when some fellow in Nasa heard about it and had his name removed because of his expertise, and Ted only had an associate degree while they were laying off people with doctorate degrees.
Ted first married Ranae McMurdie in 1947 but that marriage did not last a year. It seems that Ted was driving the car while Ranae and her mother were harping on him over something or other, when Ted pulled the car over, told his wife and mother-in-law he wasn’t taking anymore from them and walked away. Ted found and married Margene Nee Berntson on April 11, 1952, in Phoenix, Arizona. Margene had three children from her previous marriage to Noel Becar, Mike, Sue and Kathy. Shortly after marrying Margene, he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Before joining the church, Ted had smoked cigarettes since he was a teen. When taught the Word of Wisdom, Ted immediately stopped smoking and never picked up another cigarette the remainder of his life. The first to join his marriage to Margene was his son, Stephen Monroe Pumphrey. While Ted may not have experienced much love from his own dad, Ted loved and treated Mike, Sue and Kathy as his own children. He loved to take the children to the beach and to the mountains there in Southern California. He also took the family on many trips with the camper that he purchased. Once he took his little family to Mexico on trip with Margene’s Uncle Dick and Aunt Lou. On a beach down in Mexico the kids played all day in the waves and sand and at the end of the day had blisters on their backs the size of silver dollars. Eight years after Steve, Todd Alton Pumphrey joined the family followed four years later by Angela Pumphrey.
Ted always told us kids that he wanted to live to 104. After the love of his life passed away in 2022 and he turned 100 years old, Ted began to change his mind about that goal. Ted had a near perfect memory at the age of 100, but his eyesight was gone, and he had a few painful health issues that made life at his age very difficult. It is with relief that Ted finally passed from this life to join his sweetheart and daughter Kathy who passed away in July.
Ted was as stubborn as the mountains are tall, but his family will miss him dearly. We knew we were loved because he told us, and he showed us. He was an honest man who taught us how to be honest and upright ourselves. He was sealed for time and eternity to Margene on June 7, 1980, in the Los Angeles temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He is now with Margene and all his ancestors who he did ordinances for in the Boise temple for many years, and we look forward to the day when we can join once again, never to be parted.
Ted outlived his parents and his brother, two sisters and his daughter Kathy Mullen.
Still living are his children, Mike Becar and spouse Rene, Sue and spouse Ralph Flanagan, Steve Pumphrey, Todd and spouse Virginia (Gina) nee Romeo Pumphrey, and Angela Carter. He leaves a legacy of 25 Grandchildren, and many Great-Grandchildren, and Great-Great-Grandchildren.