Jennifer Pittorino
Edward (Ted) Allsopp was many things, an Olympian, an artist and a proud Western Bulldogs fan, but his loved ones will always remember him as a family man.
Ted died peacefully at TLC Marina Residential Aged Care in Altona North on January 18 at the age of 97 after living a full life.
His daughter Karen Allsopp said her father worked a grew up in Williamstown and worked a number of jobs in the Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay areas after being born in Edenhope on August 15, 1926.
He would join the Williamstown Athletic Club and discovered he had a massive talent for race walking, with his athletics career starting in 1946.
“He competed for over 26 years as a race walker,” Karen said. “My dad had the longest serving career for an Australian male walker, which still stands today.”
He represented Australia at two Olympics in 1956 and 1964, while also winning 23 national medals and 32 Victorian medals for races on the road.
While Ted was excelling in his athletic career, his personal life also began to take off, meeting the love of his life, Ann, in 1952.
Ann was 15 when they met in Queenscliff, where they both were holidaying.
“Mum and dad got married when she was 18 and he was 28, they were married for 68 years,” Karen said while Ann filled in key dates in the background.
The pair would live in Ferguson Street, Williamstown where they would raise their three children. They would later move to Altona.
Their first child Paul was born on the eve of one of Ted’s events at the 1956 Olympics, a complete surprise to Ted when he read about in the paper the next day.
“He wasn’t aware mum had given birth because they didn’t want to upset his race, which probably wasn’t the best decision,” Karen said.
Karen followed in 1960 and their youngest sister Janine in 1964.
Ted was also one of the founding members of the Hobsons Bay Arts Society (HBAS).
“He was a life member of HBAS, he used to paint Williamstown boat landscapes and won numerous awards for his art,” Karen said.
Karen recalled her father attending many art trips in South Australia, where he would spend the days painting gum trees with Ann by his side.
To his kids he was an “absolute legend”, with Karen saying he was a modest man that achieved so much in life and was never one to boast about any of his achievements.
“My parents were both very like minded , we would often find them watching football together and spending time with their grandchildren.”
Ted was also a father-in-law to Sonia, Jane and John, a grandfather to Aaron, Kristen and Callum, a grandfather-in-law to Darren and a great grandfather to Jasmine and Amy.
In his later years in life, Karen said one highlight for Ted was witnessing the Western Bulldogs win the flag in 2016.
