Ted Smyj, 74, of Sterling, died Feb. 12, 2012, in Sterling. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m., at Chaney-Reager Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, at Chaney-Reager, with the Rev. Jared Sonnenberg officiating. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery.

Ted was born Jan. 14, 1938, in Yonkers, N.Y., to Andrew and Adeline (Sweda) Smyj. He graduated from high school.

He worked for Aero Space contractor in California as a supervisor.

On Jan. 11, 1960, he married Janice F. Capps in Las Vegas. They were married for 51 years.

He moved to Sterling in 2001 from Lamar. He owned and operated the Colonial Motel.

Ted was a member of Sterling BPO Elks Lodge No. 1336. He was interested in computers and loved being on the computer. He enjoyed puzzles and building model planes. He loved his dog, Beary.

Ted is survived by his wife, Jan Smyj of Sterling; daughters, Kathy Hupke and husband Brad of Cheyenne, Wyo., Teresa Franco and husband Frank of Pella, Iowa; son, Ted Smyj and wife Diane of Corona, Calif.; brother, Bill Smyj of San Francisco, Calif.; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.