Michael S. Ford, 71 years old, departed this world on Thursday, June 4, 2020. All 5 of his sons were present at St. Vincent’s hospital in Toledo, Ohio. Mike was born in Port Hueneme (Oxnard), California on December 13, 1948, to the late Harold L Ford and Roselyn V (Reissig) Ford.
His early life was an extraordinary adventure which he shared with 9 siblings, as they followed their US military father around the post-war Pacific, from Port Hueneme, California to Chugwater, Wyoming; Naval Base Guam; Coronado Island, California; Chanute AFB in Rantoul, Illinois; Yokota AFB, Japan; back to Chanute; then back to Oxnard; with Summer visits to the grandparents in Loveland, Colorado.
In 1965, as Mike was entering his junior year in high school, they moved for the final time, to their mother’s native Toledo, Ohio. There they reunited with her large and fun-loving extended family and settled in nearby Delta, Ohio. The late Barbara E (Dewitt) Ford may have been a bookish Delta farmgirl at the time, but she knew when to act decisively.
It wasn’t every day that a handsome and worldly California-boy-baseball-star would show up unannounced in Delta High School. Together they graduated from Delta High School in 1967, were married on February 17, 1968, and built a family of 6 boys. Mike worked in Quality for Champion Spark Plug, from shortly after graduation until its closure in 1992.
While there, he formed many friendships which went unattended later in life, but always remained dear to him. As a young man in Toledo, Mike lived an active life, enjoying softball, tennis, golf and bowling, while coaching many seasons of basketball and baseball. In 1983, he and Barb returned to Delta, where they enjoyed their time increasingly through their children and grandchildren. Mike was a member of St. Caspar Catholic Church in Wauseon.
Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Barb, infant son David, and sisters Katherine Ford and Teresa (Ford) Gravengaard.
He is survived by sons Stephen (Ludmila), Jeffrey (Ana), Michael (Jessica), Gregory, and Timothy (Meredith) Ford; grandchildren Ian, Gabriela, Lucas, Victor, Livia, Bruno, Elizabeth, Abigail, Sophia, Eloise, Lucille, Patrick and Frances Ford; brothers James, Dennis, Harold, David, Kevin Ford; and sisters Patricia (Ford) Patterson and Mary (Ford) Westerman.
A memorial service will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12 at 6545 County Road F in Delta, Ohio. Those wishing to forego the service are welcome for a celebration of life, beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the same location. The gathering will be held under outdoor tents, and guests are asked to dress informally. Private interment will be at Greenlawn Cemetery in Delta, at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be given in Mike’s memory to Delta Public Library, 402 Main St., Delta, Ohio 43515. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Barnes Funeral Chapel, 5825 St. Rt. 109 in Delta.
Online condolences may be sent to the family through our website at www.barnesfuneralchapel.com. To send flowers to Michael’s family, please visit our floral store.
