Anne Ford Heard

1937 - 2022

Anne Ford Heard died peacefully on January 18, 2022 at Christwood in Covington, Louisiana. She was born on August 28, 1937 in Thayer, Missouri to Emma Louise Wales and Edward Raymond Ford, Sr., but spent most of her early life in Mobile, Alabama where she graduated from Murphy High School. After completing undergraduate studies at Auburn University she received a Masters in Social Work from Tulane University. She had a long career as a Clinical Social Worker, starting at Mobile General Hospital where she met the love of her life and husband of 51 years, John L. Heard Jr., M.D. Together they moved to New Orleans in 1962 where she worked with Touro Infirmary followed by many years in private practice. She was instrumental in founding the Trinity Counselling Center where she served as director and later honorable chair. In addition, she was a committed member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, serving on the board and leading support groups for those with family members suffering from mental illness. She will be remembered for her kindness to others, her boundless energy and spirit, and the positive impact she had on many lives throughout the New Orleans area both as a friend and counsellor. An active parishioner at Trinity Episcopal Church in New Orleans, she served many roles in the church community. She especially enjoyed spending time with family on Dauphin Island and in the mountains of North Carolina. She was an enthusiastic member of the Women's Opera Guild and several clubs and Carnival organizations, and greatly enjoyed the many festivals celebrating Louisiana culture, cuisine and music. She is preceded in death by her husband, John Lawrence Heard, Jr. M.D., her parents, Edward Raymond Ford, Sr. and Emma Louise Wales Ford, her sister, Lee Ford, and her brother, Edward Raymond Ford, Jr. She is survived by four sons, John Grayson (Sophie) of Oxford, England, Brent Lawrence of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Edward Ryan of Bayfield, Colorado, Dru Patrick (Janig) of Vienna, Virginia, as well as six grandchildren, her sister, Mary Lynn Ford Dowsey of Fairhope, Alabama and several nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral service at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1315 Jackson Avenue, at a date to be announced. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The National Alliance on Mental Illness-New Orleans, or the charity of your choice. Condolences may be expressed online at leitzeaganfuneralhome.com.