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Obituary

Passion for animals marked man's life

Ted Greenwood was the caretaker for dozens of creatures, from white tigers to capybaras.

By MARTY CLEAR
Published March 3, 2006

Theodore P. "Ted' Greenwood Jr., 1952-2006

WIMAUMA - For most people, an exotic pet is a snake or an iguana. Ted Greenwood had a pet bear.

In fact, at the time of his death on Feb. 22 at age 53, Mr. Greenwood, with the help of his wife, Robin, and some devoted volunteers, was the caretaker for dozens of creatures, from white tigers to capybaras.

"He just loved animals, and they loved him," his wife said. "I think he actually liked animals more than he liked people."

But Mr. Greenwood was anything but a misanthrope, she said. The only things in his life more important than his animals were his friends.

"If he liked you, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for you," Robin Greenwood said. "If he didn't like you, it was another story."

Mr. Greenwood passed away suddenly last month, just a few weeks after cancer surgery that had seemed to be successful. The exact cause of death has not been determined.

He was a taxidermist by profession, but in recent years his passion had been overseeing the development of Elmira's Wildlife Sanctuary.

The little-known sanctuary on a former fish farm in Wimauma had been quietly collecting animals. Some were former pets whose owners had gotten too old to care for them, some came from an older sanctuary in Seffner that was scaling down, others were retired circus animals.

Today, Elmira's is home to 22 jungle cats, three baboons, three bears and assorted smaller animals.

Mr. Greenwood was raised in Grosse Pointe, Mich. He joined the military during the Vietnam War and came to Tampa in the early 1970s, mostly because he was tired of the Michigan winters.

He settled in Tampa and before long met Robin, a University of South Florida student. They were married in 1979.

"Being the unconventional pair that we are, I wore a blue dress and he wore a light blue sport coat," his wife said. "I believe that was the last and only time I ever saw him in a sport coat."

The couple moved to Wimauma in 1987. Mr. Greenwood had never had a career before, just a series of jobs. A friend introduced him to taxidermy, and Mr. Greenwood discovered he had both the passion and talent to make that his life's work.

But his passion was for live animals. He earned the licenses he needed to care for exotic animals and with the help of some friends he and his wife gradually acquired the animals that now live at Elmira's.

In recent months, the Greenwoods have been frantically working to get the sanctuary incorporated and licensed as a nonprofit organization so they can open it to the public this spring.

Mr. Greenwood's death put those plans on hold for the time being.

Mr. Greenwood is survived by his wife; his mother, Donna Witmer; his father, Theodore P. Greenwood Sr.; and two sisters, Patricia Argabright and Deborah Greenwood.

[Last modified March 2, 2006, 13:55:05]