Denzil L. Ford, 83, passed away Wednesday morning, April 13, 2016, at his home in rural Brown County.
He was born in rural Brown County on June 11, 1932, to the late Arnold S. and Zetta M. (Hutchison) Ford. Denzil was a 1950 graduate of Helmsburg High School and went on to serve as a medic with the United States Army during the Korean War. He married Ruby A. (Gillespie) Ford on March 27, 1954, in Buena Vista, Indiana. She loving survives after 62 devoted years of marriage.
Denzil retired in 1990 as a systems engineer for IBM in Indianapolis after 32 years of service. He attended the Neighborhood Church of God in Brown County and was a member of the Brown County American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was instrumental in founding Little League Baseball and the Brown County Fairgrounds. Denzil will be remembered for assisting with the establishment of the original 911 emergency system in Brown County during the 1990s. This system was mimicked by other surrounding counties. He was also very instrumental in gaining research on the history and genealogy of Brown County, as well as all the cemeteries in Brown County. That research was used by the Brown County Historical Society to publish several books about Brown County. Denzil loved his family and traveling with his wife in their camper.
He is survived by his wife, Ruby; children, Deborah Shearer of Franklin, Donald Ford of Nashville, Michael Ford of Franklin and David Ford of Nashville; brother, Floyd Ford of Greenwood; grandchildren, Julia Bray, Sheena Ford, Joshua Ford, Jacob Ford, Ashlee Hughes, James Hughes and Melissa Mechur; and six great-grandchildren.
Denzil was preceded in death by siblings, Dorothy Wise, Garnet Everling, Arnold Jr., Oral Ivan, Arlen, Russell, Maurice and Eugene Ford.
The Rev. Leroy Collins will conduct a funeral service at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Meredith-Clark Funeral Home Cremation & Personalization Center, 179 E. Mulberry St. in Morgantown.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 15 at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Nineveh Cemetery with military rites presented by the Brown County Honor Guard.
Memorial contributions may be made in honor of Denzil to the Trafalgar Library, 424 S. Tower St., Trafalgar, IN 46181.
Expressions of caring and kindness can be made to the Ford family at meredith-clark.com. For more information, call 812-597-4670.
