Dexter FORD

FORD, Dexter Dexter "Dex" Ford of Saratoga Springs, New York died Wednesday, September 1 in his home, surrounded by his family and friends. He was 92. Dexter grew up in Middleville, New York. His father, David E. Ford, an electrician, built the town's first power grid. Dexter's mother, Anna Mae (Dexter) Ford, died of breast cancer while Dexter was attending St Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Dex ran for student body president at St Lawrence, losing by a few votes to his friend Isadore Demsky, now known as Kirk Douglas. After graduating in 1939, Ford worked for the Beechnut and Junket companies before joining the Navy's "90-Day-Wonder" officer training program in 1942. He served two years as a gunnery officer on the destroyer U.S.S. Whipple, hunting submarines in the Atlantic and Pacific. He underwent Navy flight training at Pensacola, FL in 1944. When he received his wings he took a ten-day leave to marry Jean "Beamie" McGowan, whom he had known since childhood. He piloted four-engined PB4Y-2 Privateers over the Caribbean and South Atlantic—he and his crew were preparing to fly to Okinawa to fight in the Battle of Japan when the Hiroshima attack ended the war. Dexter joined Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance of Hartford, CT. Jean and he raised their three children, David K., Dexter T. and Nancy E. in nearby Simsbury, CT. Dexter was a leader in the St. Lawrence Alumni Association, the Simsbury Congregational Church and the Farmington Valley YMCA. He retired from the Aetna in 1980, leaving as Vice President in charge of Personal Insurance. Dex and Jean enjoyed their retirement with enthusiasm, traveling the world and spending summers on Piseco Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. They moved to Saratoga Springs, NY in 2001, to be closer to Piseco and their lifelong friends there. Jean "Beamie" Ford passed away in 2004. Dex remained vibrant and active into his 90s, continuing to drive, maintain his summer camp, and mix a gorgeous vodka martini. Just 3 weeks before his passing, he was able to walk the long staircase down to the beach, hold court on his dock over a glass of Shiraz, and entertain his family and friends with stories of a life well lived. Dexter is survived by children David K. Ford, Dexter T. Ford and Nancy E. Ford, and grandchildren Andrew P. and Nicholas M. Ford (of David K. Ford) and Tiffany J. (of Dexter T. Ford). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dex's memory to St. Lawrence University or Community Hospice of Saratoga.