Mr. Arthur William Ford

A native Roman, Mr. Ford was born on July 10, 1915 in Rome, GA, son of the late Arthur N. Ford and Sara Emma Bryan Ford.

Mr. Ford sustained a serious injury from a fall at his home in November of 2010 that lead to failing health and change of residence to the Riverwood Residential Retirement Center. He was the oldest surviving member of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. Mr. Ford was known by his friends, family, and business associates as “A.W.” a well known owner of Ford’s Market located at the corner of 5th Avenue and Turner McCall Blvd. He was successful in his business endeavor and had a well known reputation for selling high quality meats. Mr. Ford began his meat market career in the late 1930s with his brothers, Roy, Howard and Raymond who were local grocers. World War II intercepted his career where he was stationed in Wiesboden, Germany serving in the Army of Occupation from 1945 through 1946. Upon completing his military service, Mr. Ford returned to his business he started in 1938. After closing his business in 1968, he continued to work as butcher at the Piggly Wiggly store located on Shorter Avenue until his retirement in the early 1990s. He was preceded in death by his wife, Will Nell Stewart Ford, to whom he was married for 60 years; three brothers, Raymond Bryan Ford, James Howard Ford and Roy Edmond Ford; and a sister, Gladys Ford.

This very special daddy, granddaddy, great-granddaddy, uncle and friend will be greatly missed by the following surviving family members and friends: daughter, Sara Ford Astin and Fred Astin of Walhalla, SC; son, George and Carole Ford of Davidson, NC; Daughter-in-law, Judy Ford (wife of deceased son Stewart Ford) of Dawsonville, GA; seven grandchildren, Mark and Christy Astin of Fuquay-Varina, NC, Susan and Sam Arnold of Summerville, SC, Karen and Jason Wilson of Deltona, FL, Stewart Jr. and Amy Ford of Savannah, GA, John and Tracy Ford of Durango, CO, Petty Ofc. 1st Class, Rob Ford and wife, Ruth of San Rafael, CA, Sara and Luke Beck of Lansing, NC; 14 great-grandchildren, Cam and Cody Arnold, Brittnay and Nathan Astin, Allie, Ethan, Anna, Eli, and Abby Wilson, Ranier and Autumn Ford, Etta and Sunny Beck, and Naomi Ford; nephews, Ed Ford, Tommy Ford and Jimmy Ford; niece, Marion Downey; friends: Betty Lynn Boston, Jim and Betsy Shouse, Faye and Bill McElmore, Vera Morris, Jesse Tolbert, Paul Haley, Debra Glanton, Hubert Perry and a host of special friends from Fifth Ave. Baptist Church. A special thanks to all of Riverwood Resdential Retirement Center residents and staff who helped our daddy make another “home” away from “home.”

Funeral services for Mr. Ford were held on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. in the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church with Rev. Jim Shouse, Rev. Jon Geaney, Rev. Fred Astin, and Rev. Jason Wilson officiating. Interment will follow in the East View Cemetery.

The family received friends Tuesday, April 3, 2012 in the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The following gentlemen served as pallbearer and include, Mark Astin, Sam Arnold, Stewart Ford, Robert Ford, Jason Wilson and John Ford.

In lieu of flowers the family respectfully request that memorial contributions be made to Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, 416 N. 5th Avenue, Rome, GA, 30165.