Thomas E. Ford

Thomas Edward "Eddie" Ford, 90, of Cedarview Road, died Monday, February 13, 2012, at Lahey Clinic, Burlington following his brief illness. He was the husband of the late Leola (Langlais) Ford and the father of Valerie Ford. Born in Framingham, October 19, 1921, he was the son of the late Francis E. and Evalda (Gingras) Ford. He worked as a young man at Limestone Air Force Base and for Local 4 Operators Engineers as a heavy equipment operator. During WWII he worked at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. In the early 1960's he owned and operated the Ipswich Gulf Station. A well-known local businessman, he additionally served at one time as president of the Ipswich Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Ford's greatest love was teaching skiing at Cranmore Mountain in New Hampshire. He was a good friend of Herbert Schneider and his father Hannes from Austria who were the originators of the Alpine skiing method in this country. He traveled to St. Anton, Austria to visit them and had many fond memories of his time there. He also became an avid golfer and fisherman, and enjoyed spending much time with his wife at their home in the New Hampshire mountains. He is survived by a niece, Jacqueline Roux, and several nephews and close friends. He was the brother of the late Charles Ford. His funeral will be held 9 am Saturday, February 18, 2012 from Whittier-Porter Funeral Home, 6 High Street, Ipswich with the celebration of a Funeral Mass of Christian Burial 10 am in Our Lady of Hope Church, Linebrook Road, Ipswich. Family and friends are respectfully welcomed. Interment will follow in the St. Stephen Cemetery, Framingham. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name may be made to Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. For directions or to leave a condolence please visit www.whittier-porter.com