Mr. Ralph H. Ford

Ralph Harrison Ford, 98, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2023 surrounded by family. He was born June 13, 1924, the son of Arthur and Lavinia (Mann). He is predeceased by his wife of 70 years, Mary Helen Ford, as well as his sisters Ruth Ford and Myrtle Ford. He leaves his daughter and son in law, Susan and Thomas Moriarty of Sturbridge MA, and his granddaughters Shannon Moriarty of Wales, MA, and Kelsey Moriarty of Thompson, CT. He also leaves his sister-in-law, Gordine Galusha of Dalton, MA, as well as 3 generations of nieces and nephews. Ralph was a 1942 graduate of Dalton High School, and a WWII Veteran. After graduation he enlisted in the United States Army Airforce and was a member of the 6th Bomb Group. He was stationed in Tinian Island and flew 35 missions as the Radio Operator on a B-29 bomber aircraft. In 1948 he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Helen Galusha (died February 2019). Ralph attended the University of Wisconsin on the GI Bill, where he studied cartography/geography and business, and from where he graduated in 1949. Following graduation, he and Mary Helen returned to Dalton, MA, where he began working. He managed the hardware department at Sears & Roebuck where he made many lifelong friends. In 1958 he purchased Jones Variety Store in West Springfield, MA and enjoyed his customers and community for many years. In 1978 he and Mary Helen moved back to the Berkshires, settling into their summer home in Lenox, which he built in 1952. Ralph had many interests such as tent camping and canoeing, which is how he and Mary Helen spent their honeymoon. He participated in the Westfield Whitewater Canoe Races for many years and canoed the Allagash River and St. John’s River in Maine many times. Ralph also loved spending time in the woods and enjoyed everything that came with camping, including gathering wood with friends and cooking meals over the campfire. He also enjoyed flying his Piper Cub airplane. Ralph and Mary Helen sailed the intracoastal waterway from FL to CT and back several times. He was an avid reader and wintered in New Smyrna Beach, FL for many years. He enjoyed riding up and down the beach on his bicycle well into his 70’s, and enjoyed cutting and splitting wood into his 90’s. He had a passion for geography and he enjoyed teaching his daughter and granddaughters how to read maps and globes. Whenever they asked a question his favorite response was “Go look it up!” with a smile, as he also enjoyed teaching them the importance of how to use dictionaries and encyclopedias. Ralph will be missed by the many loved ones he leaves, but their stories and memories of him will be cherished forever. Family would like to thank Lee Healthcare at The Landing for the never-ending love and care both he and Mary Helen received for years. Funeral Notice: Funeral services for Mr. Ralph Harrison Ford will be Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at 11 am at the Dwyer-Wellington Funeral Home in Dalton, 525 Main Street, Dalton MA 01226. Burial with full military honors will follow at Main Street Cemetery. There will be an hour of visitation at the funeral home prior to the service from 10 am to 11 am. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to Solider On, 360 West Housatonic St, Pittsfield MA 01201.

Mr. Ralph H. Ford

June 13, 1924 - March 3, 2023