William Robert Ford, Sr.

February 9, 1938 – April 20, 2025

William Ford, 87, passed away on April 20, 2025. Bill was born in Kingsport, Tennessee, February 9, 1938 to Harry Burton Alison Ford and Georgia Claire St. John Ford. He grew up in Kingsport and attended the city schools graduating from Dobyns-Bennett High School in 1956 where he was Letterman in football. He attended the University of Tennessee and East Tennessee State University. Bill and his father started the Ford System and Ford Maintenance Service. He was a self-employed contractor for many years. He then worked for the city of Kingsport as Property Management Director for 10 years.

He was an active member of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church and enjoyed teaching Sunday school, was a member of the Vestry, Men’s Club, and involved with church renovations. He was on the CASA board, Funfest board, Habitat for Humanity, and Darrell’s Dream Playground at Warriors Path State Park. He supervised the construction of Hunter Wright Stadium. He was also in Leadership Kingsport and was an honorary Kentucky Colonel.

Bill enjoyed auctioneering, landscaping, cooking, reading, hunting, history, and was a lifelong avid Horseman. He was one of the originators of IFSPRO Bear Den on Labor Day.

He was predeceased by his parents, Harry and Georgia Ford, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Thomas F. Smith, Thomas Wilkie, Gail Smith Hale, and John Hale; and nephew, Winthrop Smith and first son-in-law, Frederick J. Maloy.

Bill is survived by his wife and high school sweetheart of 70 years, Eleanor Smith Ford; daughters, Jennifer (Ron) Hunter and Catherine (Steve) Kilgore; son, William Robert Bo (Rachel) Ford Jr., all of Kingsport, TN. Nine grandchildren, Nicholas (Frances) Maloy, Tulsa, OK, Brantley (Margaret) Kilgore, Louisville, KY, Clayton (Abbie) Kilgore, Kingsport, TN, Wesley Hunter (fiancée Abigail Eldridge), Nashville, TN, William Chandler Hunter, Kingsport, TN, Alison (Drew) Doran, Kingsport, TN, Claire Kilgore (fiancé Val George), Kingsport, TN, Eleanor Javan Ford, Kingsport, TN, and William Robert Ford, III, Kingsport, TN. Nine great grandchildren, Maggie and Henry Maloy, Teddy, Jack, Cate, and Caroline Kilgore, and Ford, Sammie, and Mack Kilgore. Sisters-in-law, Genevieve Wilkie, Kingsport, TN, Juliana Smith, country of Jordan, and Rebecca Owens Anderson, Grants Pass, OR. Brothers-in-law, Gregory (Virginia) Smith, Nashville, TN, Winthrop Smith, Taos, NM and Tom (Susan) Owens, Knoxville, TN. Special nieces and nephews, Tommy (Tracy) Smith, Nashville, TN, Christian (Kelsey) Smith, Auburn, New Hampshire, Marisa (Lucas) Parsons, Tallahassee, FL, Helen and Sully Smith, Nashville, TN, Robbie Anderson, of OR and Katie Owens, Knoxville, TN; and a host of dear friends. Cousins, Anne Massengill Seegar, Barbara Hagey Stoneburner, and St. John Hagey.

The family would like to thank Amedisys Hospice, caregivers, Corey Flowers, Lanie Strawn, Margie Castle, Jennifer Carter, Jill Carter, Misty McFarland, his faithful handyman, Mike Freels, and special friend, Hunter Wright.

In lieu of flowers, family requests donations be sent to St, Paul’s Episcopal Church, 161 E. Ravine Street, Kingsport, TN.

Services will be at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church by The Reverend Jonathan Tuttle on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 1:00pm. The family will receive friends following the service in Berndt Hall.