Ted Anagnos

One of the considerations for honoring someone who might be a Beacon is their stage in life. One of our goals is to honor deserving people while they are alive and can enjoy and appreciate the adulation. In the case of Ted Anagnos we were unable to do so. Sadly we are forced to recognize Ted posthumously.

“Community Beacons” are people who are bigger than any individual school even though they might be closely associated with a particular school. Ted Anagnos was that person. While most associated with McNary High School due to his involvement with McNary athletics, “Teddy” - as he was often called – was bigger than the high school. He was truly “of the community”, especially the community of Keizer.

Ted was a “force of nature”. He “commanded a room” or any other venue he happened to be in. His passion for those causes he believed in, whether it be youth athletics, high school athletics, Rotary, his business - The Anagnos Swancutt Group, or many of a myriad of other projects, causes, and events, was inspiring. When Anagnos committed, he was “all in”.

To Anagnos when you were part of his team you were “family” with all that entails. He had standards, especially for effort, dedication, and loyalty because like Ted, once you committed you should be “pulling on the same rope” with all you had. But as part of his “family”, he had your back. He was very reluctant to close the door on people, especially kids. He might criticize, correct, and, yes, every now and again “chew” a little bit, but loathe to the outsider who might try to do the same or stood in the way of his people succeeding. And no one was prouder of “his kids/people” when they became accomplished.

Ted was also one of the people that the community turned to when things had to get done. Again, once he committed, he was all in. But Ted was “old school”. Best not to come to him just for a hand out. Show him your “skin in the game”, whether it be financial equity or sweat equity, and you had a much better chance of his joining your cause. And once he joined your cause, hang on tight! Let's “get 'er done”.

The loss of Ted Anagnos leaves a hole at McNary High School and the Keizer community. More than that though, his loss leaves a hole in the hearts of many. Ted would have wanted folks to “get over it” and move on. That's the lesson he wanted kids to learn when faced with adversity. (In fact, had he been still with us, it would have been all we could do to get him to accept this Beacon recognition.) But – in the case of Ted Anagnos - it's a lesson easier said than done. We so wish he was here to accept our Beacon award.

Ted is survived by his wife Susan and sons Tony and Christopher.

For a more complete picture of the life of Ted Anagnos, please click on the following link. A very well written article from the Keizer Times.

https://www.keizertimes.com/posts/307