Laurie Ford Nord

Laurie was born on February 18, 1938, in Atlanta, Georgia. Raised by her mother, Laurie grew into an independent and free-spirited child--qualities she would retain through all her life. As a young girl, she would frequently take the city bus on her own to go where she pleased. She attended Westminster for high school on academic scholarship, and she quickly discovered her love of dance through taking ballet after school. She was known to drive herself and friends around in her large station wagon, affectionately referred to as the Big Blue Ballet Bus.

After high school, Laurie attended Vanderbilt University for two years before marrying her high-school sweetheart, King Sims. They moved around briefly during King's Navy duty, with soubresauts to Newport, Rhode Island and then Orange, Texas, before returning to Atlanta, where she continued to dance and was promoted to principal dancer of the Atlanta Ballet. She stepped away from dancing to birth and raise her beloved children, Holly and Wade. Laurie eventually went back to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in English from Georgia State in 1978 and resumed working with the Atlanta Ballet as an educator and occasional supernumerary, once playing the role of the Queen in Sleeping Beauty.

Although tempted by a life of royalty, Laurie found her true life's calling in teaching music and dance to children. During her tenure with the Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company, Laurie, along with five other master teachers and artists, developed methodologies and curricula for teaching math, science, and language arts concepts to elementary school students, focusing on incorporating movement into learning experiences. In 1965, she founded a Children's Music and Movement class. The class started humbly in her home but grew quickly to 180 pupils and three assistant teachers in a single school year. Laurie taught music and motion to young children for 34 years across three cities and seven schools, bringing the joy of music and dance to hundreds of students and countless more people who knew her.

Laurie and King eventually divorced, whereafter Laurie re-met her former classmate, Chuck Nord, at her 25th anniversary reunion for Vanderbilt. A perfect case of opposites attracting, Chuck's serious and purposeful demeanor as a successful, serious,risk-averse insurance agent was a needed grounding rod for Laurie's waggish, mischievous, and unexpectedly facetious personality. They fell in love and married in 1988, setting roots in Nashville for many years. Laurie and Chuck celebrated a brief attempt at retirement in Sarasota, Florida, before Chuck concluded that retirement did not suit him in the slightest, and they moved back to Nashville to be closer to their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Laurie is preceded in death by her mother Edith Walthall Beers, father Alan Bowdowin Ford, husband Charles Donald ("Chuck") Nord, and Tab diet cola. She is survived by her sisters Nell Ford Mardell; Ann Ford Nermoe; brothers William E. ("Bill") Ford; Joseph ("Joe") Ford; daughter Holly Sims; son Wade King Sims, Jr (Sarah Wieck); stepsons Drew Nord (Angela) and Richard Nord II (Loren); grandchildren Wade King Sims, III (Tara), William Walthall ("Bill") Bedinger and John Ingram ("Jack") Bedinger (Mary), Emma Frost Ramming and Kathleen Elizabeth ("Kate") Ramming, Claire Nord and Garrett Nord, Mary Martha Nord and Charlie Nord; and great-grandchildren Wade King Sims, IV and Ann Elizabeth ("Annie") Sims.

The funeral service will be held Friday, March 6 at St. George's Episcopal Church.

The time for the visitation is 12:30.

The funeral Service is at 1:30.

Reception to follow after the service.

Snail may creep his way,

But see how he binds with silver

Each moment that passes.