Paul Richard Ford

Paul Richard Ford, 81, of Malvern Hills, Asheville, died Saturday, October 30, 2004, following a sudden stroke. Although born in Jamaica, Long Island, NY, he was raised in Missouri and was a son of the late Paul and Bertha Wilson Ford. He was a 1941 graduate of Brentwood High School in St. Louis County. In 1942 Paul enlisted and proudly served in the US Navy. His service during WWII took him to Navy Pier, Chicago, Opalocka, FL and Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Trained as an aviation metalsmith, he continued to enjoy metalsmithy and other crafts throughout his life. After the war Paul worked for Western Electric and Missouri Pacific Railroad. In 1953 Paul met Ruth Stroud, a medical secretary at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Oteen. After a four year and sometimes long distance courtship, Paul and Ruth married on May 18, 1957. Shortly thereafter the couple moved to Kirkwood, St. Louis County, where Paul continued his education and their daughter was born. In 1960 Paul received an associate degree in accounting from Washington University in St. Louis. The couple then moved to Asheville where their son was born and they reared their children. Paul worked as an accountant for several small businesses before a 21 year employment with the US Postal Service. Because of the pleasure he took in meeting people, Paul specialized as a Station Relief Clerk. He retired in 1986. An active member of Malvern Hills Presbyterian Church, Paul served at various times as deacon and assistant treasurer. In addition, he had been active for ten years as an assistant scout master for Boy Scout Troop #138 and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow. Moreover, Paul was active in the Malvern Hills Community Club for which he had served as president and long-standing treasurer. For the past year he organized books as a volunteer for Hospice Care Partners. Paul is survived by his wife of 47 1/2 years, Ruth Stroud Ford; a daughter, PaulaRuth Ford of Raleigh; a son Donald Bruce Ford and his wife ShuWei (Sylvia) of Huntsville, AL; grandchildren, Leigh Celestra Ford and Leonard Cornelius Ford of Huntsville; an older sister and only sibling, Dorothy M. Leiter of Sedalia, MO; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, William and Beulah Ann (Biteau)Myers of Burlington, CT, Larry and Dr. Nancy Stroud of Stone Mountain, GA and Carolyn S. Faris of Charlotte; nieces and nephews, Carol N. Chappell of Buford, GA, William H. Myers, Jr. of Annapolis, MD, Robert A. Myers of Burlington, CT, Ronald Stroud of Lilburn, GA, R. Elliott Stroud of Durham, Susan F. Cannella of Charlotte and Leslie E. Faris of Columbia. He was preceded in death by a sister-in-law and two brothers-in-law, Marie S. and John J. Nadolski and Charles H. Faris. Funeral services will be 10:00 am Tuesday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Doug Tilley officiating. Interment will follow in the family plot at Nesbitt’s Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery, Fairview, with military rites conducted by the Buncombe County Veterans Council. His family will receive friends from 6:30-8:30 pm Monday at the funeral home and request that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to Nesbitt’s Chapel UMC, 50 Kirkpatrick Lane, Fairview, NC 28730.