SOUTH PORTLAND — Edward “Ted” Hellier, 57, died peacefully in his home Monday, surrounded by family and friends, following a battle with cancer.

He was an amazing father, a true and loving husband, a fierce friend, an inspirational coach and a snappy dresser.

Hellier was born in Detroit to Edward W. Hellier Jr. and Margaret Codd Hellier. Shortly after, the family moved to Darien, Conn., where his sister Sally would soon join them. He attended Tokeneke School and Mather Junior High School in Darien and graduated in 1974 from Saint Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass., where he met many of his closest lifelong friends. After high school, Hellier attended Washington and Lee University, where he played lacrosse. After taking a few years off, he attended the University of Maine, graduating in 1985 with a concentration in Spanish.

Hellier lived a colorful life. As a young man, he lived in Texas, Virginia, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and St. Thomas before finally settling in Maine. His speech could easily fall into any accent from his past, often eliciting the question, “Where you from now, Ted?”

He made a living for most of his life as a carpenter, and most recently as a solar-thermal installer. He was passionate about the use of alternative energy and was building a successful business before his lack of mobility forced him to give it up in 2012.

For Hellier, his wife Susan, daughter Eliza and son T-Moe were the lights of his life. He also cherished the time he spent with his in-laws and their families, and was constantly surrounded by many friends, from every chapter of his life. These family members and friends, new and old, carried him through the dark days of his illness.

Many in the area knew Hellier as a youth coach, coaching baseball, basketball, and for the past nine years, lacrosse. He lived to coach and watch lacrosse, and he loved his players. A gentle and deeply knowledgeable teacher, he found the good in each player and encouraged them to continue in the sport he loved.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Susan Delsandro Hellier; his children Eliza and Edward “T-Moe” Marley, both of South Portland; his uncle George, of Rochester, Mass.; sister Sally, of Georgia; his in-laws, Christopher and his wife Carol, Peter and his wife Susan, and Bob and his wife Gloria; and his many nieces and nephews, whom he adored.

Visitation was scheduled for 4-7 p.m., Friday, June 21, at Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the South Portland Lacrosse Boosters Ted Hellier Scholarship Fund, c/o Susan Lloyd-Rees, Boosters Treasurer, 41 Sprague St., South Portland, ME 04106.

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