Theodore (Ted) Gregory Hornung

Theodore (Ted) Gregory Hornung passed away on 12/13/2023 in Lawrence, KS.  Ted was born to Edmund and Monica (Bosman) Hornung on 06/15/1938.  He grew up in Spearville, Kansas, graduating from Spearville High School in 1957.

He married the love of his life Alice and together they were blessed with three children.  The military took the family to North Carolina, Germany and Iowa.  Upon Ted’s retirement from the U.S. Army after twenty-two years of service they moved back to Alice’s hometown, Oswego, KS where Ted lived for 41 years until moving to Lawrence, KS to be closer to his children and their families. 

During his military service Ted had three combat tours, one in the Dominican Republic (Operation Power Pack) and two Vietnam War tours. Ted served with the 82^nd Airborne Division, 173^rd Airborne Brigade and 5^th Special Forces (Green Berets).  Ted is a graduate of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.  He served with MACV-SOG Command Control North (CCN) in Vietnam operating in and out of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.  This group later, in 2001, received a Presidential Unit Citation for Extraordinary Heroism.  Ted was awarded several medals during his military service, including three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.  Ted was formally trained in Farsi (Persian) and had two assignments in Iran during the 1970’s.  The last few years of his Army service were spent teaching ROTC and military science courses at the University of Iowa. 

After his military service, Ted was a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in the town of Columbus, Kansas for twenty-four years.  Ted was active with the VFW Post in Oswego, KS.  Ted and Alice played the roles of Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus for a few years at the Oswego Christmas parades. Ted was a member of the Oswego, KS Planning & Zoning Commission for many years only leaving the Commission when he moved from Oswego to Lawrence, KS in 2023. 

Ted loved spending time with his family, and his family loved him immensely.  He had a legendary green thumb with plants and flowers, raised birds and built model airplanes.  Ted never met a stranger.  He was always up for a conversation and a coffee no matter the time of day.

He is survived by his three children, Stephanie Balagna, Kevin Hornung, Shelley (Don) King; Grandchildren, Jeremy Snyder, Joseph Snyder, Joshua (Stephanie) Snyder, Emily (Clint) Janzen, Morgan (Josh) Hansen, Caitlan (Jenna Andrews) Hornung, Jonathan King and Michael King; Great-grandchildren, Sophie and Noah Snyder, Grace, Owen, Abigail, Benjamin and Clementine Janzen, and Carter and Carson Hansen. Siblings Rita (Blaine) Venters, Darlene Sharp, Jeanie (Mike) Burke, Sandi Hornung, Tom (Cindy) Hornung, Becky Hornung, Mary (Charlie) Winters and Terri Hornung and brothers-in-law, Roger Ballentine and Chris (Debbie) Westervelt.

Ted was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and newborn granddaughter Allison King.

A celebration of life will be held in Oswego, KS at a later date in 2024 followed by funeral services and burial in Spearville, Kansas. Ted and Alice’s ashes will be interned together at St. John’s Cemetery, Spearville, KS. 

The family request in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Ted’s name to your local VFW or Lawrence Presbyterian Manor and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.