Wesley Wayne Ford

Wesley Wayne Ford, 82, Colonel, US Army (Retired), passed away at his home in St. Cloud, Florida, on Thursday, July 7, 2016. He was a decorated veteran of the Korean War, where he served from 1950 to 1953 in the First Division, US Marine Corps, and of the Viet Nam War, where he served from 1963 to 1970 in the 29th, 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and in the 5th Special Forces Group, Green Berets. Post combat, Col. Ford proudly and honorably served his country through assignments in the United States and Europe, until his retirement from the Army General Staff Pentagon in April of 1986. Beyond retirement, he continued to answer his country’s call, working in American Defense Service, Special Operations and Foreign Expeditionary Service. During his military career, Col. Ford earned the Special Operations Commemorative Medal, the Legion of Merit, five Bronze Stars, two Purple Hearts, nine Air Medals, the Soldiers Medal for Heroism, five Meritorious Service Medals, and three Army Commendation Medals, among dozens more decorations and citations. He held a Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law, a Master's Degree in History from Morgan State University, and completed specialized programs at the Army War College, the Naval War College, the Air War College and the National War College. In his retirement, he built a successful real estate business in the Orlando-Kissimmee-St. Cloud area, where he actively participated in civic and veterans’ associations. Preceded in death by parents Doris John Ford and Mary Novella Roberts Ford, and son William Marshall Ford, he is survived by ex-wife, Betty Jean Ford (nee Poellinger) of Perry Hall, MD; brother Gerald Eugene Ford and his wife, Rose Mossa Ford of Perry Hall, MD; son Matthew Wayne Ford and his wife, Cynthia Andersen Ford of Dallas, TX; son John Wesley Ford IV of Perry Hall, MD; daughter Mary Ford Parsons and her husband, Edwin Parsons of Stoneleigh, MD; nieces Michelle Ford Simms, Maria Ford Hofmann and Gwendolyn Ford Taylor; nephew Jonathan Ford; and granddaughters Alexandra Ford, Stephanie Ford, Amandine Ford and Brett Parsons. A viewing was held on Thursday, July 21 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at Fisk Funeral Home in St. Cloud, FL. Burial will be held at 3 PM, Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at Arlington National Cemetery where Col. Ford will be interred. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that everyone make a donation to Colonel Wesley W. Ford's Green Beret Foundation Fund. www.greenberetfoundation.org

Wesley Wayne Ford

March 28, 1934 - July 7, 2016