Samuel Caldwell Ford

C. FORD

January 23, 1929 - September 3, 2005

Samuel Caldwell Ford, 76, died September 3, 2005, at his home in Sanibel under loving care of family and hospice. He was born January 23, 1929, in Washington, DC to parents, Samuel Shivel Ford and Elizabeth Caldwell Walker. Sam has been a Florida resident for the past seventeen years.

Born in Washington, DC, Caldwell attended public schools in Washington and graduated from Coolidge High School in 1947. While working at the library of congress he met his sweetheart Gertrude Ann Hickman whom he married in 1952. Caldwell commuted to University of Maryland where he attained a degree in English and History.

After College, Caldwell joined the Army for the Korean Conflict, while in basic training Sam learned to talk the sergeants into "demonstrating" grease trap cleaning instead of cleaning it himself. He was assigned to the Signal Corp and stationed at Fort Monmouth NJ where Sam later used his communications training to land a job with New Jersey Bell [NJB]. At NJB, Sam started as a "Linemen's helper" climbing poles and uttering the prayer every day that he did would decend from the pole intact. Sam went to night school at Rutgers for an MBA where he graduated in 1957. Sam then continued his climb on the corporate ladder, and eventually became Bell Atlantic's Executive Vice President of Network Services before retiring in 1990. In New Jersey, Sam was always very active in the community guiding the direction of the Preakness reformed church, the Reformed Church Classis of Passaic, and several hospital boards. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America.

Later after reaching Sanibel Island Florida, Sam helped to establish the Bailey-Mathews Shell museum, was a former president of the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club, a member of the Lyons Club and served in numerous capacities at the United Church of Christ. Spending his summers in Orleans, Massachusetts, he was an Associate member of the Federated Church of Orleans, Mass.

Sam will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him, his sage advice, good counsel and delightfully repetitive stories.

Sam was preceded in death by his dear wife, Gertrude, in 1999. He is survived by two sons, Carl S. Ford and wife, Bonnie of Fair Lawn, NJ and James C. Ford and wife Claire of Bloomingdale, NJ; three granddaughters, Megan Ford, Nicole Laskau and Arielle Laskau. He is also mourned by Nancy Bliss Anderson, Jean and Irma Hickman, and cousins, James Van Metre and Thomas Ford and their families.

Memorial services will be held 10:30 a.m., Thursday, December 1, 2005, at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, officiated by Reverends Randall Niehoff, James and Sandra Boler.

Memorial gifts may be made to the Smithsonian Institution; MRC 035; P.O. Box 37012; Washington, DC 20013-7012.

Please see:

http://www.samuelcfordandgertrudeaford.us