Submitted by: Dan Rich
Oct. 1, 1923 - Nov. 19, 2008
South Bend Tribune 11/21/2008
SOUTH BEND - George Burt Ford, 85, of South Bend, died at
12:15 a.m. Wednesday, November 19, 2008 in Dujarie House at Holy
Cross Village, Notre Dame, IN following an extended illness. Mr.
Ford was born October 1, 1923 in South Bend to the late George W.
and Florence (Burt) Ford and was a lifetime area resident.
He was always known as Burt. On June 12, 1948 in South Bend he
married Charlotte Kupferer, who survives. Also surviving
are two daughters, Victoria Ford (Shawn Johnson) of
Seattle, WA and Charlotte Ford-Gray (Thomas) of Napa, CA;
two sons, John B. Ford of Mishawaka, IN and George H. Ford
(Sonia) of Cookeville, TN; and four grandchildren, Carolyn Penn
(Donald) of Indianapolis, IN, Abigail Sywyk of Visalia,
CA, Sarah Sywyk of Napa, CA, and David O. Ford of Denver, CO. He
was preceded in death by a sister, Annette F. White. As a
youth he was a Boy Scout and achieved the Eagle Scout award. He
was a graduate of South Bend Central High School, Class of 1941.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army during World War II with the
94th infantry division, serving in France and Germany. He
graduated in 1949 from Purdue University with a BS, where he
affiliated with Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and earned the Tau
Beta Pi engineering honorary, and from Indiana University in 1949
with an LLB, where he served on the Law Journal earned the Order
of the Coif and Phi Delta Phi honoraries. He was a partner in the
law firm of Jones Obenchain, LLP. He joined the firm in 1949 and
retired in 1994, but continued to serve as counsel to the firm
until 2003. During his professional career he represented
numerous area businesses including The National Bank and Trust
Company and its successors, Shippers Dispatch, Koontz-Wagner
Electric Company, and the South Bend Community School Building
Corporation. He was also an advisor to registrants of the
Selective Service System. He was a member of Signal Point Club,
Niles, MI and a very active member of First Presbyterian Church,
South Bend, where he served as an elder and trustee. He was very
thankful for his many valued friends and family, but especially
his grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 22nd in First Presbyterian Church, 333 W. Colfax Ave. with Rev. Robert Agnew officiating. Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery at a later date. The family will receive friends in the social hall of the church from 4 until 7 p.m. today. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 333 W. Colfax Ave., South Bend, IN, 46601, the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 111 Sunnybrook Ct., South Bend, IN, 46637, Fischoff Chamber Music, Brownsen Hall, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, or the charity of the donor's choice. Welsheimer Family Funeral Home, 521 N. William St. is assisting with arrangements.