Julia Cannon Ford

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, she spent most of her childhood and early adulthood in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Class of 1947. She married Richard H. Ford in 1950 and raised her six children on the south shore of Long Island and, later, in Oakton, Virginia. She was a devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was always happiest when surrounded by her family.

As a young mother, she volunteered as a Sunday school teacher, served as a PTA president and was passionately interested in civic affairs. In her later years, she enjoyed gardening, dogs and chatting with neighbors who stopped by as she sat on her front porch. A devoted Brooklyn Dodger fan in her youth, she later transferred her allegiance to the NY Mets, whose exploits she followed on TV. She supported the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, from which her husband and four of her children graduated. She had a fondness for good red wine and good conversation, never shy about offering her perspectives on the world. She enjoyed playful banter, sticking out her tongue if she didn’t agree with you.

Julia was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Richard; her sister, Bobby Joyce Bagley, in 2022; and her brother Walter. She is survived by: her six children, Richard H. Ford, Jr., Charles A. Ford, Robert B. Ford, Douglas L. Ford, Roger P. Ford and Cynthia Ford; her sister Betty and brother Billy; 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A private celebration of her life is planned.