John E. Ford

John E. Ford died on Friday, February 13, 2015 at the age of 67. John is survived by his wife of 45 years, Khris Cotton Ford, his daughter, Jenn Gilbert and son-in-law Cody Gilbert and grandchildren Stephen Gilbert and Leigha Gilbert, all of Holly Springs, North Carolina. He is also survived by his son, Max Ford of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and his sister, Sally Schmitt of Holt, Missouri. John is predeceased by his son, Stephen Ford, parents, Nora Ethel and Clarence Ford, sister, Carol Pannell, and brother, Bill Ford.

John was born on October 11, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, but lived most of his growing up years in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He graduated from Central H.S. In Tulsa, and received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University where he was a member of Delta Chi fraternity. John met Khris while in high school and they married on May 28, 1969.

For the past 35 years John worked as a Compensation and Benefit Consultant primarily for Stone Partners, most recently for Frost Consulting. John valued the many wonderful relationships he built with his clients over the years.

John was an avid lake lover, for many years he and Khris actively raced their sailboat, and as lazier times in life came they just enjoyed time on Lake Travis in their motor boat. John was also a fitness and sports buff and had an ongoing love hate relationship with golf, and planned a return to tennis and cycling in retirement. Those who knew John well know of his passionate love of the OSU Cowboys, especially football and basketball. His recent golfing wardrobe was almost exclusively "the brighter orange." But most importantly John loved his family, his children and his grandchildren. He liked snuggling with them and reading to them. He loved beach time with them. And to John's way of thinking his beloved "girls", his canine-Americans, Babe Ruth and Masha were family with truly top status. John was a devoted and loving husband, generous beyond words and so excited about the new chapter that he and Khris began as they moved to North Carolina to be near Jennifer and her family just 3 weeks ago.

John's dry sense of humor, his loving, and his wise counsel will be missed. His imprint as a faithful friend, father, husband and grandfather will be carried in the hearts of those whose life he touched always.

The family will receive friends from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at Weed-Corley-Fish Lake Travis, 411 Ranch Road 620 South.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at Lake Travis United Methodist Church, 1502 Ranch Road 620 North.

For those wishing, memorial contributions may be made in memory of John, to My Healing Place at http://www.myhealingplace.org/donate.htm