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Theodore (Ted) A. Balaska, President, Insulated Power Cable Services. Inc.
Ted received his BSC(EE) from WPI, Worcester, Massachusetts. After WWII naval service he joined Hartford Electric Light (1946) and was involved with underground distribution installations through 27kV. He joined Long Island Lighting (1952) and progressed to Area Supervisor Underground Lines, responsible for installation, inspection, and maintenance of cable systems through 138kV.
He joined the Habirshaw, a Division of Phelps Dodge, in 1957 as an Electrical Research Engineer. He advanced to Staff Electrical Engineer. His activities encompassed engineering and design of non-standard power cable and systems, field supervision, and testing (laboratory and field) of power cable systems and their components through 345kV.
From 1966 he was with the Bishop Manufacturing Corporation and its acquisitions by Sola Basic, General Signal and Plymouth Rubber. He was Director of Engineering Services (Bishop) and Manager of Power Cable Products (Plymouth Rubber). He was involved in the development of 69kV UN tee and straight joints through 138kV for XLPE cable systems.
He formed Insulated Power Cable Services during 1986. IPCS provides services for cable system and component design, evaluations, market surveys, forensics, testing, development, installation, field investigations, training and expert witness testimony.
Ted is a Senior Life Member of IEEE and PES, IAS, and D&EIS. He is a Past Chair of the Insulated Conductors Committee (ICC) and its Tests & Measurements Subcommittee. He is recipient of the 1990 Distinguished Service Award of the ICC.
Within the PES Meetings Department he has served in the following capacities.
- Publications Chair 1976 Underground Transmission and Distribution Conference & Exposition, Atlantic City, NJ.
- Executive Vice Chair 1979 Overhead & Underground Transmission and Distribution Conference & Exposition, Atlanta, GA.
- Executive Chair 1981 Transmission and Distribution Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN.
- Vice Chair Special Technical Conferences, 1981-2. - Chair Special Technical Conferences, 1982-3.
- Chair Meetings Department, 1983-9. During 1983-9 he was a member of the PES Governing Board and its Executive Committee. This was parallel to being the PES representative on the IEEE Meetings Council .
Present other memberships include CIGRE, NACE, and EEI T&D Comm.-Vendor. Past memberships included NELPA and its UD Committee, PCEA, and Senior Associate NSPE. He was an advisor for EPRI research projects. He has authored over 75 published presentations. Ted is an IEEE/PES Distinguished Lecturer. During 1995 he was designated an Atwood Associate of the US National Committee of CIGRE.
Ted passed away on January 15,2001. His zest for life and boundless energy will be missed by many within the ICC. His death also created a large hole in the ICC which may take years to adequately fill. The following obituary notice, written by our own Roland Watkins, appeared in the March issue of the Suncoast Signal, an IEEE Sectional newsletter. Our thanks go to Roland for expressing thoughts and sentiments shared by many.
Sheena and I have known Barbara and Ted for some 30 years, and their lovely children Mark and Terry.
This is a very sad day for his family and friends.
During these many years that we have been associated with Ted, we have never seen him depressed or disturbed. He was very calm, professional and always ready to help the younger members of our technical committees, particularly those in our PES/ICC (Insulated Conductors Committee).
Ted was dedicated to education & Electrical Engineering all his life. I followed Ted in many assignments: we each chaired a T&D Conference and then our Insulated Conductors Committee. He was always prepared to support you if you gave it your all.
You will never know how good a man he was. He will be sorely missed both professionally and as a friend. I knew Ted as the most willing of my colleagues. Nothing was too much trouble for him! His last assignment in his technical life, which he shared with me, was to select and give awards to our committee members for their contribution to ICC. He knew everyone so well technically and personally. There was no one could do this job better than he was.
With his experience and integrity he will be rewarded in his after life for his honesty, drive, perseverance and love of people. The last business award Ted received after a recent visit he made to Panama, and given to him by his customer, was a gold plaque known as Panama Golden Huacas. The Huacas are an ancient "INCA" tribal people from Peru and Columbia, who landed in Panama 100s of years ago and worshiped, rocks, mountains, trees, rivers and gold! Hence the significance of the gold plaque.
We should consider ourselves lucky that we knew Ted and could call him our friend. Sheena and I will certainly look back on our IEEE/PES/ICC experiences in England and in North America together with Ted & Barbara. We thank God for this good man and our great memories.
I ask you all to help Barbara and her family in their loss.
Finally, Ted has many files of old transaction papers, standards, and meeting minutes from IEEE and other professional institution, which could be made available to anyone who cares to call me. I can expand on the documents and samples available.
Thank you for giving me space in your publication for Ted Balaska’s obituary.
Roland Watkins
