Theodore “Ted” Charles Edward Radde III, longtime publisher of the Sparta Herald and former Sparta City Council member, was born Jan. 26, 1948, in Sparta. The son of Donald and Mildred (Jones) Radde, he graduated from Sparta High School in 1966 and went on to attend UW-La Crosse.
With his grandfather, T.C. Radde, and father, Don Radde, each having served as publisher of the Herald before him, Ted grew up in the newspaper business. He began his career with Monroe County Publishers at age 14, working his way up through the ranks of the company, which published the Sparta Herald and Monroe County Herald.
Ted became publisher of the Sparta Herald in the late 1970s, a role he held for several decades. He was named general manager of Monroe County Publishers in 1988, while retaining his title as publisher. Ted retired in 2015, when the newspapers were sold to current publisher Greg Evans, who merged them to form the Monroe County Herald.
Ted also spent 10 years as a member of the Sparta City Council from 2000 to 2010. During that time, he served on or chaired most of the city’s major committees.
Married 46 years, Ted and his wife, Andrea (Heitman) Radde, had two daughters, Jennique and Mirannda.
Ted died Monday, July 12, 2021, in La Crosse. He was 73.
