Cornelia Kasius Ford

Cornelia Kasius Ford

Cornelia Kasius Ford, 76, of Spokane, Washington, passed away on January 12, 2014, at the Rockwood Retirement Community.
Ms. Ford was born on March 13, 1937, in Glen Cove, New York, to William Nicholas and Dorothy Scholze Kasius. Known as “Corki” to all who loved her, she was a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, sister, aunt and friend, as well as a passionate and talented artist and a dedicated steward in the field of educational consulting.
Ms. Ford and her first husband, Hadley Ford, were married in December, 1957 in Roslyn, New York, and raised their family in Connecticut. She is survived by four children from that marriage: Hadley Ford, Alexandra Ford, William Nicholas Kasius Ford, and Anthony Judson Ford. The marriage ended in divorce, and in 1999, she married her lifelong friend Al Williams, and moved to his home in Santa Monica, CA, where they lived together until Mr. Williams lost his battle with cancer in 2001. Ms. Ford remained in California until 2010, when she moved to Spokane to be closer to her youngest son and his family.
A graduate of Goucher College, Ms. Ford majored in art, which remained an enduring passion of hers. Her artistic talent was reflected in many areas of her life, including the beautiful gardens she cultivated and the many exquisite paintings she produced and exhibited over six decades. In addition to teaching painting and exhibiting her work, Ms. Ford was an elected member of The Silvermine Guild of Artists in New Canaan, CT, and was an active member and former President of The Artist's Gallery (TAG) in Santa Monica, CA. In an exhibition at the Schomburg Gallery in Santa Monica, Ms. Ford's art was described as providing the viewer with a “lush visual experience (which) delivers a rich, deeply lived understanding of the archetypal need we all have to reconcile shadow and light within ourselves.”
While living in Connecticut, Ms. Ford dedicated herself to a career in educational consulting. She served as Director of Admissions at The Wooster School and received a masters in education at Fairfield University. She established a private consulting practice, and served on the Planning Committee of the Secondary School Admissions Test Board. She was also a member of both the American Association for Counseling and Development and the National Association of College Guidance Counselors. In 1984, she was invited to join the Independent Educational Consultants Association (I.E.C.A.), a not-for-profit organization of counselors whose members are dedicated to helping students identify and select suitable schools, colleges and educational programs.
In addition to her four children, Ms. Ford is survived by 10 grandchildren, three stepchildren, a sister, and a niece.
The family is currently developing plans for a celebration of Ms. Ford's life. Those interested in information may email her son, Jud, at judson_ford@yahoo.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org. To view Ms. Ford's online memorial, please visit www.hennesseyfuneralhomes.com.