Brian T. Ford

Brian Terry Ford, 83, native of Mellette, South Dakota, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loving family, due to complications from metastatic melanoma at his Tallahassee, Florida home, on Saturday, June 17, 2023.

Brian was born March 7, 1940, the son of Eugene Harold and Aileen Oleta (Rawstern) Ford, He grew up the youngest of four brothers on their family farm. After graduating from Northwestern High School, he returned from active duty in the Army to marry his high school sweetheart Marilyn LeAnne (Bebo) Ford in 1960. He earned his Bachelor's Degree from Northern State, then a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota. A career Army reservist, he first enlisted in 1959, was commissioned Second Lieutenant (Artillery) through Officer Candidate School by age 20, and ultimately retired as a logistics officer, at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

He began his non-military career with General Mills in Minneapolis, Minnesota, then set down deep roots in Ames, Iowa, where he was the regional Financial Manager for the Federal Highway Administration for over 25 years. In his retirement, Brian and Marilyn moved to Lake Byron, near Huron, South Dakota to be closer to their relatives. When home on the lake, Brian loved teaching his grandkids to fish right from his dock and taking Marilyn out for paddleboat rides at sunset. As a second career, Brian served as a reserve Comptroller with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), deploying to disaster relief projects to help wherever people were in harm’s way.

Brian is survived by so many loved ones, foremost his childhood sweetheart and beloved wife of 63 years, Marilyn LeAnne (Bebo) Ford. Their six children, their children-in-law and children-in-love, 14 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren are lovingly known as Big Family, and they include: Jeffrey Ford of South Bend, Indiana (and his daughter Ashlee and her husband Jason Morahan [with their son Damian and daughter Auloura] and his daughter Nicole McCoy and her partner Jake [and her sons, Colin and Cameron]), Christopher and Michelle Ford of Brainerd, Minnesota (and their daughters Alexandra, Renae, and Anastacia Ford and her partner Michael Gargano, and daughter Rachel and her husband Ben Klinger [and their daughter Chloe]), Julian Ford and Gregory Zekowski of Burbank, California (and their sons Maximilian, Louis, and Harrison Zekowski), Maria and Michael Bryant of Woodland Park, Colorado (and their daughter Grace and son Michael Bryant), LeAnne Ford and partner Scott Tomaszewski of Tallahassee, Florida (and his son Sebastian Tomaszewski), and Benjamin Ford and Keri Cole of Woodstock, Vermont (and their daughter Vivian and son Cyrus Ford). He is also survived by his brother, Larry, of Mellette, South Dakota, sisters-in-law Carol Bebo of Redfield, South Dakota, and Sylvia Bebo of Tea, South Dakota, as well as many loving nieces, nephews, and their kids. He was predeceased by his parents, his father-in-law, Marvin "Chappie" Bebo, his mother-in-law Grace (Peterson) Bebo, his brothers Philip and John Ford, his brother-in-law Marvin "Spud" Bebo, and his great-grandson Carter Klinger.

Using the handyman skills he learned growing up on the farm and with the help of friends, neighbors, and family, Brian repurposed the beams and bricks of the decommissioned Huxley train depot to add a family room and workshop to the Ames house in the 70’s - decades before using reclaimed wood was trendy. From the family room, he and Marilyn would host friends and coworkers at Christmas parties and build “hardly roaring” fires in the great Huxley brick wall fireplace for family movie nights. From his workshop below, he operated a hobby business refurbishing and repairing musical instruments, giving many young musicians in Ames the chance to own their own clarinet, or returning a saxophone accidentally dropped down the stairs to good as new just in time for the big concert. The pool, bumper pool, and foosball tables he shared space with down in the workshop served as neighbor kid magnets, making 1539 the “go-to” house for fun.

Brian took many fishing/camping trips to Canada with his kids and friends. He loved hunting down Northern Pike at the best darned secret fishing hole in the world, affectionately dubbed, “Pig Lake”.

In his final years, the Fords were snowbirds, spending colder months near daughter Annie in Tallahassee until they moved there in 2020. He enjoyed golf ball hunts, collecting shells at their place on Sanibel Island, walking hand in hand with his beautiful bride, and the far more temperate Florida winters. Brian loved reading, cuddled up with Snuggles and D.C. (for Dad’s Cat), the two kittens that found their way into the family by virtue of having been left under their porch by a momma cat who thought they must be in pretty good hands.

Brian was beloved for his big personality and booming baritone, and though he never sang professionally, he was usually singing to himself or any available audience of delighted kids. Though Primary Progressive Aphasia took that gorgeous voice from him in the end, it’s a great comfort to know the heavenly choir has a great new addition.

There will be a celebration of Brian’s life slated for late summer or early fall – a date to be determined. If you subscribe to this memorial page you will be notified when the details are finalized.

In lieu of flowers, a gift in Brian’s name to either the National Aphasia Association (aphasia.org/donate/) or The American Cancer Society (donate.cancer.org) will help so others similarly afflicted might have hope for a cure.

In the words of his son-in-law, Greg, "When you love someone and bring them into your life, it’s in the heartache you feel on their departure that you realize the depth of what they meant to you."

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.neptunesociety.com/location/tallahassee-cremation for the Ford family.