Neal proudly served his country as a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force, retiring after 27 years of service. He attended St. Louis Community College at Forest Park and received his Associates degree in Bio-Medical Engineering. He worked for many years in the biomedical field until his full retirement in 2020. He loved country music and played guitar in many bands over the years, including the “Silver Eagles”. He and his bandmates also spent time playing for seniors at nursing facilities and community centers. He enjoyed woodworking and was considered a “jack of all trades”. There was not anything he could not fix or that his wife, Sharon, could not get him to fix. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, who will truly be missed by all who knew him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Luther A. and Geneva B., nee Williams, Ford and his sister, Lyndia McNutt.
Surviving to cherish his memory are his loving wife, of 55 years, Sharon L. Ford, nee Barnett, of Belleville, Illinois; his children, Deb (Dave) Kerrison, George (Tina) Ford, Richard Ford, Donna (Allen) Harris, James (Terry Sullivan) Ford, John (Cindy) Ford, and Joseph Ford; his grandchildren, Chloe, Connor, Ryan (Shelby) , Sarah, Shelby (Paul), Lindsay (Ryan), Chelsea (Samantha), Hunter, Allison, Emily, and Elizabeth; his great grandchildren, Elizabeth, Paul, Jr. and Sammie; his brother, Sidney (Peggy) Ford; his mother-in-law, Myrtle Barnett; and many cousins, other relatives, and friends.
Memorials are appreciated to Children’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO. Condolences may also be expressed online at www.valhallagardensandfuneralhome.com.
Visitation: Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, February 25, 2021 at Valhalla Gaerdner Holten Funeral Home, Belleville, Illinois.
Funeral: Services will be held at 1 p.m., Thursday, February 25, 2021 at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.
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