Grace May Teeter

Grace May Teeter, 84, died Thursday, March 23, 2017 at Cayuga Medical Center. She is survived by her loving husband, Amandus Mike "Teets" Teeter of nearly 67 years. He was by her side, holding her hand to the very end. She is also survived by her daughter, Gracie Schell, son Paul Teeter and his wife Rose Cochran Teeter, her sisters Freda Scott and Doris "Dottie" Lent, 4 granddaughters, 5 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Grace was born in the town of Danby on June 4, 1932 to Paul and Juanita Bartlett in a house only a couple of miles from the home that she would spend almost her entire life. At the age of 14, she went to a dance at the West Side House in Ithaca where she met the young man who would forever be her soulmate. They were married on July 8, 1950 at the First Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, with a reception in the yard of the house she grew up in. A few years later, Mike and Grace purchased the house from her parents and made that their home ever since.

Grace was a traditional homemaker. She took care of the house and their 2 children, while Mike worked. While her daughter Gracie was in elementary school, she joined the Camp Fire Girls. Grace soon got involved and before long she became a group leader, a position she held for over 25 years. She was very dedicated and had great success. She was a wonderful influence on all the young girls that were in her groups.

Her son Paul, played PeeWee hockey at Lynah Rink. In the fall of 1963, Mike got involved with Cornell Hockey and Grace became a lifetime dedicated fan. In that era, students could live off campus in private residences. Over the next 10 years, several Cornell hockey players lived in Mike and Grace's two apartments at their home that was affectionally called, "The Teeterosa". Even though many called her "Mrs. T", they felt like she was their second mother. Grace fed them and treated them like adult sons.

Grace was an avid sports fan. Whether it was Ithaca High School or Cornell Football or Cornell Lacrosse, she would endure all kinds of inclimate fall weather in the bleachers cheering on her team. She rarely missed a home hockey game for many years.

In her middle years, Grace became a playground monitor at South Hill Elementary school. She was good with the kids, but also quite strict. If someone misbehaved, they had to stand against the outside wall of the school. Many of those kids who are now adults joke around to friends or family, or to even Grace herself, saying, "I remember when Mrs. Teeter put me on the wall".

Grace and Mike bought a motorhome in the 1980's and began traveling whenever they could. As the years rolled by, Mike retired and they were able to take a month long cross country journeys. They traveled to 46 USA states and Canada.

Unfortunately, Grace spent her elder years battling debilitating health issues. She would still attend all the Cornell events she could. She entertained others in the Press Box at Schoellkopf when she would cheer or yell directions to the Big Red on the field, even though they could never hear her. She had her special spot, where she sat in her wheelchair on the balcony at Lynah Rink to cheer for The Big Red. The last 3 years were tough for Grace, she was too weak to leave home, but she still listened to the games on the radio.
Grace really was "Amazing Grace". She put everyone before herself and loved her family more than anything else in the world. Grace was sweet and caring to all she met. So many were touched by her kindness and she will be sorely missed.

Calling hours are Thursday, March 30, 2017 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at Bangs Funeral Home in Ithaca, NY. A private graveside service will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations in Grace's memory may be directed to the Grace & Mike Teeter Fund for Big Red Athletics. Checks should be made payable to Cornell University and sent to Big Red Athletics, Teagle Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-6501, Attn: John Webster.

Thursday, March 30, 2017 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Bangs Funeral Home, Inc. 209 W Green St. Ithaca, New York 14850