Obituaries

Don was born in Fannin County, Tx on August 22, 1934 to parents Lendell and Helen Thomas Ford. He attended Windom schools and graduated at the age of 16. He spent 2 years in the Army stationed in Germany. He was on an Army baseball team and played over 90 games while there. After the Army, he played Minor League baseball for the Milwaukee Braves for a season. He was on the team with Bob Uecker who became the famous baseball announcer. The next season he was traded to the Washington Senators in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida where he played for two seasons. Don told me himself he was great at short stop but he couldn’t hit at all. He was written up in the papers as “slick fielding Ford”. He unfortunately broke a finger playing ball and that ended his career.

He worked at Texas Instruments for several years while attending North Texas University. After graduating, he joined Internal Revenue Service where he retied in 1990 after 27 years. His supervisor wrote to him and stated he was the first auditor selected to review the working agreement between the IRS and CIA. He also was on the first team that conducted the Watergate investigation for the Joint Committee on Taxation.

After retirement, he made personalized golf clubs and donated many sets to golf tournaments. He was a very low handicap golfer and played golf all over the US. He played in tournaments with well-known people, his favorite being Tom Landry. His home course was Brookhaven Country Club and he made many dear friends in that community. He was a member of a bible group called he Linksplayers for 7 years and it meant so much to him.

Don is preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Grissom and their daughter Kellye as well as his wives, Vanessa McGowan and Joan Milton, his mother, father, sister, Bonita and brother-in-law, Glynn Hicks. He is survived by his son, Ron Ford of Dallas, grandson, Ryan Ford and wife, Milo and great grandson, Eisen of Arizona, grandson Taylor Ford and wife, Jenna of Plano, sister, Gail McAllister and brother-in-law Milton McAllister of Sherman. He is also survived by nieces, LaDona Dunn of Longview, Missy McAllister-Kerr of Ft Worth and nephew Casey McAllister of Pottsboro and their families. Don has many cousins living and deceased that he loved dearly. We want to give special thanks to his caretakers, Ify, Tracy and Chanell who took such good care of him for almost a year. There will be a graveside service at Cedarlawn Memorial Park in Sherman on Friday, May 26 at 2 p.m.