Mary Frances Ford

And now, the end is near;
And so I face the final curtain.
My friend, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain.

I've lived a life that's full.
I've traveled each and every highway;
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

No truer words were penned to describe Mrs. Ford.

Mary Frances (Franklin) Ford was born in Hartsville, SC on September 17, 1932 to the late Joseph and Ethel (Shirley) Franklin. After a long illness, she entered eternal rest peacefully on  August 29, 2017.

After moving to New York in the 1950’s, Mrs. Ford graduated from the Washington Irving School and, while embarking on an esteemed accounting career, completed her Associates in Accounting from the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

In August 1960, she married the late John Ford and they moved from the Bronx to Rochdale Village in Jamaica, Queens where she served on the Co-op’s owner’s association board.

In 1970, she became a member of Calvary Baptist Church, Jamaica NY, where she was an active member of the Fern Carter Parents Association, The Girl Scouts and the Sunday School. While busy raising a family, she went back to school and began taking accounting classes at Pace University towards her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.

She retired in 1994 and, with John, moved to Columbia, SC to enjoy a less hectic life.

Mrs. Ford was an EXPERT seamstress, often making clothes to wear to church or to different functions. She also loved to crochet and read books on African American history. Never one to shy away from voicing her opinion, she loved to talk about politics and current events with her family and friends.

She leaves to mourn two daughters, Brenda L. Ford, Washington DC and Catherine Franklin, Columbia, SC; one son, Frank E. Franklin, preceded her in death; one brother in law, Jerome A. Ford, St Matthews, SC; one sister in law, Christine Franklin, Hartsville, SC; three grandchildren: Sean M. Franklin (Tiffany), Augusta, GA, Christopher D. Alexander (Hilda), Jacksonville, FL and Keshia E.Alexander, Lynchburg, VA; six great grandchildren, Christianna, London, Christopher Jr, Michael, Jordan and Brycen and a host of loving relatives and friends.

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