Bennett Ford

Ben was the first-born child of Harold Bennett Ford and Helen Bernadine Kirchner. He

arrived at the St. Joseph’s Infirmary in Louisville KY on March 15, 1940. Ben was joined by his

brother Robert (Bob) in 1942 and later by his sister Susan in 1943. As a child Ben attended the

Saint Denis School through 8th grade, and thereafter completed his high school education at

Saint Thomas Seminary in preparation for his formation into the priesthood. Shortly after

graduating high school he decided on an alternate life path and instead earned a Bachelor of

Arts degree from Bellarmine University in 1963.

Ben subsequently initiated his Masters degree studies in American History at the

University of Arizona where he was also heavily involved in the formation of Newman Centers

in the region. Life in the southwest was a bit more than the Kentuckian could handle, and so he

returned home without completing his degree. In the mid 60s the Vietnam conflict was

escalating and many men of Ben’s age were being drafted to serve in the armed forces. Instead

of waiting to be called up, he enlisted with the United States Air Force and was stationed at

Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Ben served as a psychiatric ward specialist for 4 years,

and achieved the rank of Sergeant before being honorably discharged. During his time at

Andrews he assisted with social functions for the benefit of patients, events that were co-

sponsored by the American Red Cross. It was during one of these functions that he met a Red

Cross volunteer named Mary-Louise Meyer. They quickly became close companions, and were

married in November of 1968. According to Ben, Mary-Louise convinced him to accompany her

to an antique shop one afternoon only to find himself purchasing a ring for a potential future

engagement. The ring was on her finger before they got back to the car, but Ben did not seem

to mind.

Ben and Mary-Louise welcomed their first son Thomas in 1970, and shortly thereafter

moved to Lexington so that Ben could work towards his Masters degree in Library Science at

the University of Kentucky. Around the same time Ben finished the outstanding coursework for

his advanced degree in American History at Murray State University. In 1973 Ben and Mary-

Louise brought their second son, Matthew into the world. Ben then moved with his family to

Lawton OK where he took a job as a librarian at Cameron University.

In addition to his career as an academic librarian, Ben maintained a high level of

engagement as a husband and a father. When Wilson elementary school (where his children

attended) sought new leadership for the Parent Teacher Association he and Mary-Louise

stepped in as co-presidents. When his son Thomas and his classmates sought to form a

basketball team he agreed to lead them as their head coach. When his son Matthew’s troop of

Boy Scouts became leaderless, he assumed the role of Scout Master. When Mary-Louise

struggled with her first bout of breast cancer he absorbed many of the household duties and

drove his wife to her chemotherapy appointments. Ben may not have always known what he

was doing when first taking on these roles, but he stepped up and made a difference when it

mattered the most. Ben was a provider for his family and leader in his community.

In the early 1980s Ben and his family relocated to Ramsey NJ for his new job

opportunity as a librarian at Fairleigh Dickinson University. The next few years proved

challenging as Mary-Louise struggled with recurring bouts of cancer, a disease she

succumbed to in 1987. Ben suddenly found himself a single father of two teenage boys. He

adjusted his work schedule by taking on a new librarian role at Bergen Catholic High School,

which allowed him to spend evenings and summers at home with his sons. It was during these

years that Ben also became an active Catholic again, eventually assuming facilitator roles for

multiple bible study groups each week.

Ben retired in his early 50s, relocated to northeastern PA outside Scranton, and then

dedicated the next two decades of his life to various pursuits of spiritual development. This

included continuing to facilitate multiple bible study groups, participating in prison ministry at the

Lackawanna County Prison, organizing and speaking at Cursillo weekend retreats, and

preparation of catechists as part of the leadership team for the Rite of Christian Initiation of

Adults (RCIA). Ben also became certified as a spiritual director to help others along their

spiritual journeys. During these spiritual pursuits Ben met his second wife Joan Abbitt, whom he

married in 1995. Joan died unexpectedly in the summer of 1997.

In 2011 Ben relocated to the Portland area to be near his son Matthew and his family.

He remained active in church life at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Forest Grove, St.

Matthew’s in Hillsboro, and The Madeleine in northeast Portland. He happily picked up his

granddaughters from The Madeleine School for years while he was still physically able, and

struck up conversations with any parent, grandparent, or teacher that crossed his path.

Ben passed away in his sleep during the early morning hours of November 17, 2024. He

is survived by his sons Thomas and Matthew, his daughter-in-laws Jennifer and Windy, and his

five grandchildren Nora, Louisa, Colin, Amelia, and Lauren.