Wed Mar 17 2010
by Mike Lesko
Associate Editor
The two grown daughters of the late Henry O. "Hank" Ford, a longtime area resident and World War II veteran, described him as being like Ward Cleaver, the kind, patient, understanding father character in the TV sit-com "Leave It to Beaver."
"If I had to describe him, it would be patient," said daughter Vickie Haley of Cincinnati. "Dad taught us how to ride two-wheel bicycles and how to drive cars with manual transmissions. He taught me how to swim."
Daughter Edee Gosnell of New Paris, Ohio, called him "a quiet but firm influence."
She said her late mother, the former Mary Louise Carson, who was called Lou, used to tell a story about her husband summoning her sister when she was a youngster.
"Vickie didn't respond," Edee said, laughing. "Our father said to her, 'Jump,' and Vickie answered, 'How high, Daddy?'"
Mr. Ford, 86, died June 20, 2009. He lived in Stow for 49 years before moving to Cuyahoga Falls two years ago.
He was senior vice commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4738 in Stow.
Mr. Ford was featured in three stories in the June 7, 2009, Stow Sentry regarding his service in the U.S. Army Enlisted Reserve Corps from 1942-45 during World War II.
Mr. Ford was also shown in a Page 1 photograph in the May 24, 2009, Stow Sentry prior to Memorial Day.
Born in Smithfield, near Steubenville in central Ohio, Mr. Ford grew up on his family's 140-acre dairy farm and played the trombone as a youth.
He graduated in 1947 from Kent State University with a major in economics and became a full-time instructor at Kent State. His future wife was one of his students. She graduated from Kent State in 1951. They were married in 1952.
Mr. Ford worked for Commercial Press in Kent, where he became vice president, and Herriott Printing, where he was president.
He was employed in the printing industry for the rest of his career, retiring in 1994 after 42 years.
Mrs. Ford was a substitute teacher in the Stow schools.
"From Dad, I learned ethics, honesty, patriotism, responsibility and to do the right thing," Edee said.
Mr. and Mrs. Ford were precinct judges at the polls on election day and, as members of the school booster club, worked at the concession stands during school events.
"We were expected to be high achievers because our parents were," Vickie said.
Vickie recalled one incident when her father tried to teach his daughters how do make their beds with "square corners."
"You folded the blanket under the base of the mattress. If you did if it right, a quarter would bounce off it. But we never met his satisfaction," she said, chuckling.
Vickie said her father was frugal.
"When everybody had power lawn mowers and color televisions, we had push mowers and black-and-white TVs," she said. "We didn't get a color TV until I left for college."
Vickie said when she and her sister were little girls, the family went on vacation to a resort in Ontario in the summer. There were family camping trips to Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan and Washington, D.C. They also visited Cedar Point Amusement Park.
Mr. Ford, who was a past president of the Stow Historical Society, served on the Stow Board of Education. He handed out the graduation diplomas to both his daughters.
"I was a class officer, so we were both on stage," Edee said. "That was very special."
Mrs. Ford died in 1983 at age 54.
Mr. Ford was an avid golfer and refereed basketball games at Kent State.
In recent years, he volunteered with the American Red Cross and the Kent State University Alumni Association.
"He loved to follow the Kent State athletic program," Edee said. "He had men's basketball season tickets for a long time. More recently, he was interested in women's basketball."
In recent years, much of Mr. Ford's time, though, was spent at Acker-Moore Memorial Post, which represents American Legion Post 175 and VFW Post 4738.
"As a young girl, I remember trying on his uniform," Vickie said. "We knew he was a sergeant. But at the time, I don't think we appreciated what it meant to serve in the military. Now, we do."
Edee added, "Dad was very proud of the veterans groups. We tried to get him to move closer to us, but he said this was where his friends were, and this was where he wanted to be."
Mr. Ford had eight grandchildren.
Vickie and Gary Haley have five grown children -- Tim, Glen, Trevor, Alec and Carrah.
Edee and Roger Gosnell have three grown children -- Bryan, Jamie Lee and Steven.
Friends may call June 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Redmon Funeral Home, where Pastor Jim Case will conduct a service June 29 at 10:30 a.m.
A Masonic service will be June 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Standing Rock Cemetery.
A gathering will be conducted after the burial at Acker-Moore Memorial Post, 3733 Fishcreek Road, Stow.
Memorials may be made to the GriefCare Place, 4499 Darrow Road, Stow 44224, Summit County Chapter of the American Red Cross, 501 W. Market St., Akron 44304 or to the donor's favorite charity.
Mr. Ford's video tribute may be seen at www.redmonfuneralhome.com.
E-mail: mlesko@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3917
HANK FORD
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