Ralph N. "Buzz" Tedards

Dateline- Clinton, S.C.
Ralph N. “Buzz” Tedards, age 84, of 902 Calvert Ave. died Monday,
February 13, 2012.
He was born in Pickens, S.C. on February 4, 1928 and was the son of the late Mr. & Mrs. J. H. Tedards.
Mr. Tedards was also predeceased by brothers Jack, Billy, Roy, Frank and Connor Tedards.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara Williams Tedards; a son, Ralph N. “Buzz” Tedards, Jr. and daughter-in-law Sheree R. Tedards of Greensboro, NC and a daughter, Beverly T. Cannarella and son-in-law Matthew Cannarella of Hartsville, SC; grandchildren, Ann Stanton Cannarella, Norman Cannarella Mayfield and her husband, Corey, of Inman, Joseph Cannarella and Lucia Cannarella of Hartsville, SC.
Mr. Tedards was a 1945 graduate of Greenville High School and served two years in the U.S. Army. He graduated from Presbyterian College in 1950 as an outstanding senior athlete.
After graduation, he was named the assistant coach at Gaffney High School from 1950 – 1955. He later was Athletic Director at Honea Path High School from 1955- 1957. Mr. Tedards then became the Athletic Director at Clinton High School from 1957- 1961.
In 1961 he was employed at the Torrington Co. as Personnel Manager of the
Clinton Bearings Plant. In 1965 he became Regional Personnel Manager and later the Corporate Director of Human Recourses’ for Torrington’s South East Operations. He was inducted into the Ingersoll-Rands Management Hall of Fame upon his retirement in 1992.
He was a Commissioner of Piedmont Technical College from 1971- 1979 and served on the Presbyterian College Board of Trustees form 1994- 1996.
Mr. Tedards was a member of the Clinton First Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon, Trustee and Sunday School Teacher.
He was a director of the Clinton Y.M.C.A and also served as Chairman.
In Honea Path and Clinton he was selected as the “Young Man of the Year” by the city.
He was a member of the Laurens County Chamber, the SC Chamber of Commerce, Greenville Area Personnel Board, Past President of the SC Placement Association, Southern College Placement Association, and Advisor at USC graduate program in Human Resources and President of the Laurens County Touchdown Club.
Memorial services will be conducted Thursday, February 16th at 3:30 P.M. in the First Baptist Church of Clinton.
The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at the Harper Center at Presbyterian College, located at the corner of 5th Ave. and Holland St. by the pond.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 301 S. Broad St., Clinton, SC 29325 or the Alzheimer’s Association, Upstate SC Chapter, 301 University Ridge, Ste. 5000, Greenville, SC 29601.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.grayfuneralhome.com
Gray Funeral Home of Clinton