Remembering Ted Mintun

RESULTS lost a great friend and advocate this week when long-time RESULTS Salina (KS) volunteer and former group leader Ted Mintun passed away on November 27. He was 90. Ted, a former social worker, has been a passionate advocate for disadvantaged populations for decades. Over the years, he volunteered his time to various causes in the Salina area, receiving numerous awards for his amazing work. As a RESULTS advocate, Ted was a dedicated advocate for low-income Americans, being in regular contact with Kansas members of Congress on our issues. He was also a savvy media advocate, frequently getting media pieces published in the Salina Journal.

I first met Ted when I visited the Salina RESULTS group in 2008. He and his wife Marge were gracious hosts to me, even treating me for dinner while I was there, which they did on subsequent visits too (dinner with the Mintuns at Martinelli’s became an informal tradition). In addition to his quick mind and great sense of humor, what impressed me about Ted was the breadth of advocacy and volunteer work he and Marge had engaged in all their lives. I remember sitting in his kitchen listening to Ted rattle off one by one the causes they had worked on (and still did, well into their 80s). It was inspiring and humbling at the same time. Sometimes it seems cliché when we talk about people making a difference. Not with Ted. For him, it was a daily reality. We will miss him.

We sincerely thank Ted for his generosity of time and service to ending poverty. We also offer our sincere condolences to his family and friends for their loss. To read more about Ted and his wonderful life, please see this piece from the read his obituary online.