Theodore Joe Tachenko

Theodore Joe Tachenko 

March 31, 2020 - January 30, 2024

My name is Vanessa Tachenko and my husband’s name is Ryan. I never thought I’d be writing any of my children’s obituaries, but here I go…

To have known Theodore, was to love him. At least that was certainly the case for Theo. If he knew you, there’s a good chance he loved ya. He never did anything halfway. Everything he did was at least 110%, all the time. Especially when it came to his love. Being parents to Theo meant our days were full of sloppy kisses, loads of hugs, snuggles and tight squeezes. “I love you” was said at least a dozen times each day. 

He rocked our world from the day he was born to the evening he died. My contractions finally got to two minutes apart in downtown Boise, Idaho when a 6.5 magnitude earthquake hit. He was born two hours later at 7:51pm on March 31st, 2020. There may not have been an actual earthquake the evening Theodore died on January 30th, but it sure felt like the whole world shook. We’re still shaking in his wake. 

Theodore was always shaking things up when he was alive. He marched to his own beat and did things his own way with great gusto and enthusiasm. He wasn’t a people pleaser and he was very confident in his own skin. He loved playing with his siblings (Zeb, Jabel and Dawnna), cousins (Wyatt, Morgan, McKinzie, Cameron and Annabel), and his friends (Caleb, Marshall and Madeleine). He was also perfectly content to play by himself. He was especially good at doing whatever his Irish Twin/big sister Dawnna wanted to do. If it was a good time, he was all in. He was, without a doubt, the life of the party. 

He especially loved working alongside his Daddy. Irrigating, four-wheeler rides, and tractor rides were among his favorite things to do with Dad.  Theodore also loved to visit his Dad at the fire station or ambulance bay. He loved animals, but animals didn’t always appreciate his tight squeezes and intense rubs. Theodore was at one with the dirt, and ate lots of it. He could dig in dirt or sand for hours (well, except lots of snack breaks). Clothes were optional in Theo’s world and so were shoes. 

Theo was fortunate to have five grandparents who loved him dearly. Great Grandma Alene as he called her, Grandma Theresa, Grandpa Tom, Papa (Rodney) and Nana (Valerie). His bond with Nana was so special. Singing worship songs and eating her yummy home cooked meals were among his favorites. 

When Theodore was born, the first words I said were, “He’s so beautiful!” Perfectly proportioned at 8 pounds 12 ounces and 21 inches long, he had a bit of chub to him that he kept until the day he died. Each of my children had some chub to them as babies so they were all nicknamed “Chub-a-wub” for a time, but Theo’s chub never left,  so the nickname stuck. If you asked him what his name was, he’d proudly tell you that his name was either “Theo” or “Chubs”. He died before I had the chance to worry about any negative association with such a nickname. 

His eyes were a piercing blue that sparkled when he smiled. His hair was a white blonde with a wild wave to it. I remember so clearly the way his hair stood up at a diagonal slant when he came into the bathroom to give me his morning greetings on January 30th. “Mornin’ mama!” exclaimed my happy boy, with a big smile as he rubbed his belly and yawned off the morning sleepies. His stance was like his Daddy’s, broad with his belly sticking out and back leaned back a bit (he had the Tachenko strut too). For some reason, I took a bath that morning before work instead of a shower. Thankfully, when Theo asked if he could get in with me, I let him. Since Theodore was born in a bathtub at a birthing center, my last interaction with him was the same as my first. That bath that morning is a gift I will cherish forever. I’m so thankful the last time I got to hold him was so close and intimate. 

Theo loved his Savior Jesus Christ just as much or more than any three year old ever could. His prayers were as if he was talking to his best bud on the phone. They were sincere and often profound for his age. He was frequently heard singing some sort of worship tune like “Jesus Loves Me” or “This Little Light of Mine” while he went about his day.

I don’t want to give the impression that he was perfect and never did anything wrong. He regularly left a path of destruction wherever he went. He was a master at making messes (with great gusto and enthusiasm). Sitting still for an entire meal was not a strong suit of his. He was cute and he knew it. From the day he was born, his nose would crinkle up this certain way when he was upset or mad. He could be stubborn. He had essentially no fear. Having a boy who did everything at a minimum of 110% was often exhausting. However, the good far outweighed the challenges, and we feel so fortunate to have had 1,400 days with him. 

We have hope in Jesus that we will see Theodore again someday. 

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

We sincerely wish all of you to have hope in Jesus. Please reach out to us if you would like Bible studies to learn more, and we will gladly connect you with the proper resources in your area. 

Theodore was blessed to have many people in his life that loved him (far too many to list in an obituary). We have been beyond blessed by everyone’s outpouring of love, support, generosity and prayers during this extremely difficult time. We are fortunate to have numerous loved ones who are closely walking alongside us in our grief. We’d like to publicly thank Erin and Don Taggart who (with Jesus) have been our shelter in our storm (literally and figuratively). Thank you Taggarts for loving Theo and us like family. We are also very thankful for each person (especially the police officers) that were somehow involved or responded the night of Theodore’s accident. The whole ordeal was very traumatic and we couldn’t have survived it without their help. 

Theo’s services will be a weekend long event in which we hope to honor Jesus and our son. All are invited. The main events are as follows: 

Good Friday March 29: Graveside service 2pm at the Lostine Cemetery. 

Easter Sunday March 31: Sunrise service at 6:30am next to the Lostine Cemetery. Easter Service/Theodore’s celebration of life at 10:30am also next to the Lostine Cemetery. Followed by lunch and birthday cake (March 31st would have been Theodore’s fourth birthday). 1:30pm Huge Easter Egg Hunt for all ages. 

In lieu of flowers, we ask memorial donations be made to Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home to help defray funeral expenses. Online condolences can be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com