Horace Eugene Ford

Horace (Junior) Eugene Ford

Horace passed away December 28, 2018, after fighting many years with Dementia. He was born December 2, 1929 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to the late Horace & Esther Ford. Horace is survived by his three daughters, Karen (Mikle) Partlow, Sharon (Richard, Deceased) Alexander, and Teresa (Mike) Pickard; six grandchildren, Steven Daniels, Jason Alexander, Melissa Butterfield, Richard Alexander II, Heather Jewett, and Ashley Grounds; twelve great grandchildren, three great great grandchildren, several nephews, nieces and cousins. Horace was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Patricia Ford; his parents; sister, Dorothy Kerns; brother, Richard Ford; and son in law, Richard Alexander.

Horace married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Colglazier on October 2, 1951. The three daughters completed the family at this time until they married and started families of their own.

Horace drove a truck for a living, starting in his teens delivering block ice for Polar Ice Company. In 1951, he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina where he chauffeured the officers around. After the Army, he continued driving and making deliveries for Hoosier Coal & Oil for 30 years before they sold out to Overhead Doors of IN where he continued work for a couple of years and also drove their RV to home IU football games. He loved this because he was a diehard IU fan with a collection of memorabilia of his own. Horace then went to work at HP Products for the next 15 years until his retirement in 1998.

Horace also had a passion for the Indy cars and the dragsters. For 35 years he was able to work the month of May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a Safety Patrol Captain. He also worked at Raceway Park during the Nationals.

Horace loved to travel with his family and would choose a different vacation spot every year. Frequently, the family would take Sunday drives and he would let the girls try to get him lost, although they were never able to do so. In the summer, the family frequented local lakes to enjoy their boat. In the winter time, the family would pass the time working jigsaw puzzles. Horace continued his love for puzzles after the family grew.

After retiring, in 1999, Horace and Pat moved to Monon, IN and purchased a home on the Big Monon River that feeds into Lake Shafer. They both worked at Indiana Beach each summer, with Horace working at parking, ticket taking and running small kiddie rides. Horace also enjoyed his new boat and having family and friends join him on the lake.

Visitation will be on Thursday, Janurary 3, 2018 at Flanner Buchanan-Floral Park, 425 N. Holt Rd., from 5-8PM, and on Friday, Janurary 4, 2018 at Flanner Buchanan-Floral Park, from 9-10AM, with the service immediately following. Burial will follow at Lincoln Memory Cemetery.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, National Multiple Sclerosis Society – Indiana Chapter, Kawasaki Disease Foundation, or Autism Speaks.