Ernest Ervin Ford Jr.

In his youth, Ernie attended local schools in the Kansas City area and graduated from North Kansas City High School. He then took a job at Ford Motor Company, where he was a valuable, long-term employee for over 30 years until a work injury forced his early retirement.

After retirement, Ernie developed a passion for sports betting and spent much time enjoying all things water-related. Whether it was the YMCA, swimming pools, or Oceans of Fun, he was always a willing participant. Ernie was also an avid moviegoer, seeing three to four movies per week, and considered himself a keen critic. If you had a question or a view on politics and wanted to debate it, Ernie was your man; he never shied away from expressing his opinion and had no fear of trying to change your mind.

Ernie was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his two daughters, Dusty and Wendy. Dusty gave him two granddaughters, Chelsea and McKenzie, and six great-grandchildren to date. Wendy gave him his beloved youngest granddaughter, Hope, and his only grandson, Chance. It was his wish to see his grandchildren graduate, and as of May 2025, all four grandchildren have graduated with college degrees, which was a great source of pride for him.

In Ernie's later years, he found new interests in flowers and updating his home. You could find him nearly every day watering and tending to his garden. He also loved watching birds fly by and was always adding new bird feeders to his porch to care for them.

In lieu of flowers, any memorial donations to an animal shelter would be greatly appreciated. The family would like to thank all friends and family on behalf of Ernie, especially his best friend, Tom Boomershine, who was always ready to help in any and all ways.

The family invites you to say your last goodbyes at White Chapel Funeral Home in Gladstone on June 18, 2025, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.