John H. Ford, 81, of Tifton, died Tuesday, December 5, 2006, at his residence. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 8, 2006, at Liberty Baptist Church in Tifton. Rev. Gerald Purvis of Liberty Baptist Church in Tifton and Rev. Glenn Ford of Calvary Baptist Church in Tifton will officiate with burial to follow in Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery. Jason Ford, Kevin Ford, Keith Ford, Raymond Galm and Jonathan Davis, Mr. Ford’s grandsons, will serve as pallbearers. Deacons of Liberty Baptist Church will serve as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Thursday, December 7, 2006, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Ford was born on April 25, 1925 in Norman Park and was the son of John D. “Man” Ford and Sally Cox Ford, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his wife of over 56 years, Mary McAllister Ford; his brother, Johnnie “Buck” Ford; and his sisters, Bernice Ford Warren, Nellie Ford Cooper, Lonnie Mae Ford Davis and Dora Ford. He was a retired businessman, being owner and operator of Ford Appliance in Tifton. After his retirement, he continued to provide service to customers, up until his death. He was a devoted husband and father and a devoted member of Liberty Baptist Church. He had lived in Tifton since 1969.
Mr. Ford is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, John Michael and Kathy Wood Ford of Charlotte, North Carolina and Rev. Glenn and Sheryl Ford of Tifton; two daughters and one son-in-law, Mary Ford Galm of Ocilla and Shirley Ford Abdulhadi and her husband, A. I., of Alpharetta; ten grandchildren, Rasha and Deena Abdulhadi of Alpharetta, Tammy and Keith Ford of Charlotte, North Carolina, Raymond Galm of Ocilla, Jason Ford of Fayetteville, Kevin Ford of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kara Ford, Melinda Davis and Jonathan Davis, all of Tifton; three brothers and sisters-in-law, Olin and Doris Ford of Tryon, Lenny and Linda Rodgers of Texas and Denny and Clara Rodgers of Bowden; and two sisters, Ruth Ford Harrell and Evelina Rodgers Carter, both of Sumner.