Obituary of John W. Ford

John W. "Bill" Ford, Jr., 82, of Old Trail Road, passed away peacefully Monday, July 20, 2009 at St. Mary's Hospital with his loving family by his side following a courageous battle with lengthy illnesses. He was born in Amsterdam October 1, 1926 a son of the late John W. and Evelyn Humphries Ford, Sr. Bill was a life resident of the area and attended schools in Amsterdam. He served his country in Korea with the US ARMY during WWII being Honorably Discharged in 1946. He was united in marriage on October 19, 1952 at St. Michael the Archangel Church to the former Sofie DiBlasi of Amsterdam. Bill loved his family and was very involved in his children's activities such as the 4-H Club, Boy Scouts and Baseball. He was also a member of Amsterdam Lodge #84 F&AM and of the Tribes Hill Vol. Fire Department. He worked for several years as Maintenance Supervisor for the Fonda-Fultonville School District before moving to Florida in 1984 where he worked for Good Samaritan Retirement Village until his retirement in 1989 when he and his wife moved back to the area. Bill enjoyed fishing, playing pinnacle and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He also had a love for animals and will be missed by his beloved dog, Willie, a Shih Tzu. His loving family includes his wife of nearly 57 years, Sofie Ford of Fonda, his daughter Barbara Jean "Chickie" Phillips of Fonda, his sons, Michael J. Dawn Ford of Melbourne, FL and John W. "Billy" Linda Ford of Fonda, his sister Dolores Ron Barber of Lawrenceville, FL, his brother, Brian A. Martha Ford of Florida, his grandchildren, John L. Tina Belfance of Amsterdam, Justin Ashley Belfance of Atlanta, GA, Angela Mark LoBianco of Long Island and Alyssa Frank Ford of Esperance, his great-grandchildren, Jacob Belfance, Ciara Boniecki, Zach and Hannah Jones, Mario Morgan and Brianna Boniecki, his brothers-in-law, Bob Montenaro of Broadalbin, Dan Wilma DiBlasi of Pennsylvania and Fred "Harpo" DiBlasi of Saratoga. Several nieces and nephews also survive. Bill also leaves behind Angie Belfance and the Keckeisen Family, Mark, Kim, Daniel and Alexandra. In addition to his parents he was predeceased by two sons, Daniel and James Ford and a sister, Shirley June Hafer. Graveside Services will be Private at the convenience of Bill's family and will be held in Pine Grove Cemetery, Tribes Hill with Rev. Christopher DeGraaf, officiating. The family will receive relatives and friends for one hour from 11:00AM to 12:00PM on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at Jackson & Betz Funeral Home, 15 Main St., Fultonville. Contributions in Bill's memory may be made to the Ayres Memorial Animal Shelter, 133 Hilltop Rd., Sprakers, NY 12166, the Tribes Hill Vol. Fire Dept., 280 Mohawk Dr., Tribes Hill, NY 12177, or the Fonda Reformed Church, 19-21 Broadway, Fonda, NY 12068.