F. Richards Ford III

1928 - 2021

F. Richards Ford III
Long time Greenwich resident, F. Richards Ford III, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 92.
Anyone lucky enough to have known "Dick" will be forever touched by his kindness, generosity, and charm. Nothing gave him a bigger thrill than to help people with caring advice drawn from a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience. Not surprisingly, he coined his "handle" in the 70's as "The Counselor" to the CB radio truckers of America.
Born June 12, 1928 in New York City to Frank Richards Ford, Jr. and Cornelia Ward Burchell, he attended Allen Stevenson School and was a member of The Knickerbocker Greys before his family moved to Southport, CT. Developing a passion for sailing, he competitively sailed Atlantic Sailboats for the Pequot Yacht Club.
Graduating cum laude from the Hotchkiss School (1946), he excelled in academics and sports as well as performing leading classical roles acquitting himself with distinction in many of the school's dramatic productions as well as serving as its President. Dick's early appreciation for the acting craft led to his supporting the Hartman Theater in Stamford and later the Westport Country Playhouse. He was also an active board member for The Acting Company, in New York.
Following his graduation from Princeton University (1950) he married Mary Hope Lewis. They relocated to Charlottesville, VA where he attended the Law School at the University of VA. Upon graduation in 1953 with a Juris Doctor Degree, Dick accepted a position with Cummings and Lockwood and moved his young family to Greenwich, CT.
From 1960 – '63, Dick was honored to accept a position as consultant for the US Department of Defense. Moving his wife and young family to Geneva, Switzerland he worked on disarmament for the Eisenhower administration. He remained there during the John F. Kennedy administration, working on the test ban treaty and nuclear disarmament.
Returning to Greenwich in 1963, Dick accepted a Senior VP position at the State National Bank, later becoming Executive VP heading the Trust Dept. when the bank became Connecticut Bank and Trust (CBT). Dick returned to private law practice in 1986.
Dick married Natasha Boissevain (Pray) in 1982 and enjoyed an adventurous life and entrepreneurship until her untimely death in 2005. Together they created the state of the art AMFIT (American Fitness Institute) in Greenwich, in 1980. He was stepfather to her children Sabrina, Melanie, Tina and Malcolm, Jr. (dec.).
A member of the Round Hill Club for over 60 years, he loved playing golf and rarely missed his personal fitness training sessions. He enjoyed attending lectures in Manhattan at The Brook Club where he was a long time member.
Dick believed it was important to engage with one's community and as such, served on the boards of many local institutions such as the Greenwich Academy, Bruce Museum, and was a founding member of the Land Trust division of the Greenwich Audubon from '71 – '79.
Dick married his present wife Phoebe Brown Ballard in 2009. They enjoyed an active life together, travelling and spending time with their extended families. They both served on the Advisory Board of At Home in Greenwich and enjoyed membership events at the Field Club in Greenwich. Phoebe has three sons, Jahn, Bob and Michael.
Dick was a handsome, charming gentleman, with an engaging smile. That smile prompted Bill Duke, a close friend from Southport, to call him "The Smiler". Dick's mother had told him "A smile is one of the most important things you carry throughout your life", He was the very embodiment of her advice for the rest of his life.
Dick is survived by his wife Phoebe, his younger sister Susan Hammaker. He is also survived by Mary Hope Lewis, his first wife and their five children: Emily Cox, Madison Ford, F. Richards "Rick" Ford IV, Christopher Ford, Mariah Brown and his eight grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to At Home in Greenwich, The Round Hill Community Church and the Westport Country Playhouse.
Because of COVID restrictions all services will be private.