22
fhea.com Fitzgerald Health Education Associates, Inc., January 2015
Memorial
W
illiam J. Ford , 94, the devoted
husband of more than 65 years
of Dr. Loretta Ford, the founder
of the first nurse practitioner program,
passed away in late 2014. Bill Ford was an
alumnus of Colorado State University, re-
ceiving his bachelor's degree in Vocational-
Technical Education in 1969 and his
master's in Trade and Industrial Education
in 1972. He was a WWII veteran of the U.S.
Army and worked as a vocational-techni-
cal education teacher with a reputation
for helping students succeed against all
odds. Many of Bill's students were under-
privileged or had difficulties at school or
home.
Survivors include his loving wife, Loret-
ta (Dr. Loretta Ford), daughter and son-in-
law, Valerie K. (Ford) and Chris Monrad of
Inverness, several nieces and nephews,
and his canine companion, Jazz. Dr. Ford
described her beloved husband as the
"wind beneath my wings" and how, with-
out his unwavering support, her pioneer-
ing work in healthcare would not have
been possible.
Bill and Dr. Ford have been long-time
donors to the Milton E. and Mildred E.
Larson Memorial Scholarship, which sup-
ports students majoring in vocational
technical education. The late Milton Lar-
son was a CSU professor who helped Bill
get admitted to the university at the age
of 47 and then served as Bill's advisor,
mentor, and lifelong inspiration. When
Bill passed away, Loretta asked that
those wishing to honor Bill contribute
to the Larson Memorial Scholarship
Endowment.
On a personal note, my husband Marc
Comstock and I are indeed fortunate to
call Dr. and Mr. Ford friends. Bill was a
gentle presence, a man of great intelli-
gence, and Dr. Ford's partner for nearly 7
decades. If you wish to demonstrate your
appreciation of Dr. Ford, who has dedicat-
ed her life to the nurse practitioner role,
please make your gift in honor of her hus-
band Bill Ford, who strongly supported
Dr. Ford's efforts on behalf of all NPs. All
NPs owe a great debt to this marvelous
couple.
Peg Fitzgerald
Margaret A. Fitzgerald, DNP, FNP-BC,
NP-C, FAANP, CSP, FAAN, DCC
Donation Information
The Milton E. and Mildred E. Larson Me-
morial Scholarship is awarded to a stu-
dent of Vocational Teacher Education.
Secure online gifts can be made at:
http://giveto.colostate.edu/education .
To give in Bill Ford's memory, under
the "Dedicate Your Gift" heading,
click on "In memory of a deceased
individual" and complete the infor-
mation and Dr. Loretta Ford will be
notified of your gift.
Gifts may also be sent via mail to:
Larson Memorial Scholarship
College of Health and Human
Sciences
Colorado State University
1501 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1501
Please make checks payable to the
Colorado State University Founda-
tion, with "Larson Memorial Scholar-
ship" in the memo line of the check.
Dr. Ford will be notified of these
gifts in Bill's memory, as well.
•