Leonard G. Ford

Leonard G. Ford SUNSET/NORTH SALT LAKE – Leonard George Ford, 98, died Sunday, June 7, 2009 at the Utah State Veterans Nursing Home in Salt Lake City. He was born December 27, 1910 in Ogden, Utah, the second child of James A. and Mattie E. Bateman Ford. He was educated in the Ogden City Schools. On March 24, 1936, he married his lifelong companion, Dora Stoddard. Their marriage was solemnized in the Ogden LDS Temple on March 5, 1975. Leonard and Dora made their home in Sunset, Utah for 59 years. After the death of his beloved wife in August 2005, he resided with his daughter Lenora and son-in-law, Jay C. Brown in North Salt Lake for over three years. Leonard was very active in the music world in the 1930’s, playing the saxophone and the banjo in many orchestras and dance bands. He worked at the Ogden Arsenal in 1941 until he was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1943. After serving our country, he returned to Hill Air Force Base in 1946, and retired as a heavy equipment operator in 1971. During his retirement, Leonard and Dora enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, and to Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada. Leonard always loved the outdoors enjoying fishing, camping and hunting. He also enjoyed gardening, walking and yard work. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and held several leadership positions including Executive Secretary. Even though he was advanced in years, up until the past few months, he continued to be active in his hobby of woodworking, for which he received numerous first place ribbons from both the county and state fairs. Surviving are his daughter, Lenora (Jay) Brown, three grandchildren, Laura Neal, Salt Lake City; Heather (Christian) Thompson, Santa Cruz, CA; Evan R. Neal, North Salt Lake; three great-grandsons, Nicholas Yeiter, Hunter Thompson and Troy Thompson, one great-granddaughter, Shara, and one brother, George A. Ford, Ogden. Preceding him in death were his parents, two brothers, and two sisters. The family would like to thank the nurses and aides at the VA Nursing Home and Hospice. Thank you also to the wonderful friends and neighbors in Sunset and North Salt Lake. Funeral services will be held Friday, June 12 at 11 a.m. at the Sunset 3rd Ward Chapel, 338 West 1800 North. Friends and family may call at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd., on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Friday at the Ward Chapel from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Interment, Ogden City Cemetery. Send condolences to the family at: www.lindquistmortuary.com