William “Bill” N. Ford, Jr.

William “Bill” N. Ford, Jr., age 84, of Madison, died on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, at 10:50 a.m. at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Bill was born July 5, 1935 in Madison to William Nathan, Sr. and Mary E. Bott Ford. Bill was proud of his Irish heritage and that his family had settled in Jefferson County in 1809 and he was a fifth generation resident. He was raised in Jefferson County and was a 1953 graduate of North Madison High School. He then received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Indiana University Southeast. 

On March 13, 1965, he married Frieda Carol Fordyce. This happy union of 31 years was blessed with two sons. Bill retired after a 44 year career with the Indiana Kentucky Electric Corporation in Madison as a accounting supervisor. He also enjoyed farming and teaching part-time at Ivy Tech. He also had received his auctioneer’s license and dabbled a bit in that trade. 

Bill served two terms on the Southwestern School Corporation School Board in Hanover. He served on the Jefferson County Farm Bureau Board, was a member of the Madison Genealogy Society, the Jefferson County Historical Society, Madison Jaycees, Historic Hoosier Hills, Historic Madison, Inc., the Old Settler’s Meetings and the historian and board member for Neavill’s Grove. 

Bill was involved in politics and was a devout democrat and was awarded the Spencer Schnaitter Award at the 2019 annual democrat dinner. He also enjoyed driving his 1968 Cadillac convertible in the Madison Regatta parade. Bill was a member of the Hanover Baptist Church and attended the Madison Presbyterian Church as well. 

After the death of his wife, Frieda, on Aug. 24, 1996, and after a number of years he met his companion, Joan McFadden. They enjoyed wintering in Vero Beach, Florida and attending the First Presbyterian Church there. Bill enjoyed attending the Men’s Fellowship and volunteering at Second Chance and the Habitat ReStore. Bill enjoyed reading, learning, history, and socializing with friends and family. He always had a smile on his face and never met a stranger. If there was a need you often found Bill helping to make sure that need was met. 

Bill is survived sons, William Fredric “Fred” Ford of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Robert Michael “Bob”(Anita Lawrence) Ford of Madison; his companion of ten years, Joan McFadden of Madison; his granddaughter; his sisters in laws, Melody Jane (Charles Michael) Sizemore, New Albany, Sue Fordyce of Joliet, Illinois; his nieces and nephew; several great nieces, great nephews and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his father, William Nathan Ford, Sr., in 1996, his mother, Mary E. Bott Ford, in 1938, his beloved wife of 31 years, Frieda Carol Fordyce Ford, and his brother in law, Jerry Fordyce. 

Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, Dec. 5, at 11 a.m., by Pastor Scott Hookey at the Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, 325 Demaree Dr. in Madison. Interment will follow in the Martinsburg Cemetery in Pekin. 

Friends may visit Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. until the time of service at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Frieda Ford Scholarship c/o Ivy Tech Foundation or the American Cancer Society. Cards are available at the Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre’s of Madison and Hanover. Online condolences, www.morgan-nay.com.

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