Buddy Joe Ford

Buddy Joe Ford, age 91, of Amarillo, entered heaven on June 7, 2024.

Public viewing will be on Monday, June 10, 2024, from 8:30 AM until 7:30 PM. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 3:00 PM at First Baptist Church Chapel.  Dr. Howard K Batson will officiate.  A private burial will be held at Llano Cemetery.

Buddy was born on September 29, 1932, in Wellington, Texas, to his parents, Paul and Opal Higdon Ford. Buddy grew up during the depression years. For much of his life, his family was impoverished, and he especially remembers going to school with either no shoes or worn-out shoes. As he was the oldest child, and his mother frequently was not well, he became the cook for the family as much as possible. His favorite food was baloney, which he had never stopped loving. Over the years, one of his many jobs was a cook for a barbeque joint. He continued his love for cooking and was a very good cook, especially Barbeque and his "world famous "beans.

He started driving a truck and going to wheat harvests when he was 15 years old. He had to drop out of school to help his father but later received his GED diploma. He loved the pastor of the Nazarene church in Dodson, who was also his Boy Scout leader.  Buddy accepted Christ as his savior as a 12-year-old. He said he had the greatest feeling of peace the night of his salvation.

Buddy was a veteran, joining the Air Force at the age of 19 and then the US Navy for two additional years.  He then began working at the Amarillo Air Force base for the next ten years. When the Amarillo Air Base closed, he began working in security at the Pantex Plant for the next 24 years.

Buddy met his wife at First Baptist Church, they were then married in 1972. He maintained his membership there until his death.  

Always having a love for airplanes, he got his pilot's license in 1983 at the age of 50; however, he flew for the first time in 1948 in the plane of a relative and loved flying for the rest of his life. He enjoyed buying and trading airplanes over the years, having owned/sold 56 airplanes. After retirement, he made almost a daily trip to Trade Wind Airport for years, until the pandemic, to have coffee and talk about flying with his buddies. He also served as president of the local branch of the Experimental Aircraft Club.

One of his joys and hobbies was his love for animals, which grew after his marriage to Nancy. She had two dachshunds, which were her babies. In later years, with his wife's grudging support, he took in abandoned cats, which he found at Trade Wind Airport and in the neighborhood. He also kept the neighborhood birds well-fed. Cats and lost dogs seemed to know his house and showed up frequently. He and Nancy would never agree to take one to the pound. He found homes for everyone.  Over the years, Buddy and Nancy loved 11 dogs and 7 cats, not counting the 4 or 5 cats he took care of in the neighborhood.

He was preceded in death by his parents; by his children, Kenneth Wayne Ford, Ronald Paul Ford, Nancy Elizabeth Ford Bryant, and Deborah Rundell; his siblings, Ronald Keith, Paula Janice, Sandra Gaye, and Sharon Penelope; by grandchildren, Dustin Ford and David Ford; by his first wife and the mother of his children, Joann Ford; and his favorite canine companions, Dixie and Marla.

Buddy is survived by his wife, Nancy; his children,  Lisa Ford Zang and her husband, Justin, and Darrell Ford and his wife Katherine; his sister, Jan Lambden and her husband Dick; grandchildren, Christopher Bryant, Shawna Bryant Hancock, Ryan Rundell, Cara Ford Parry, Jason York, Jacob York, Katie Ford Hurt, and Kyle Ford; great-grandchildren,  Halo Bryant Garrison, Kali Hancock, Nathan Hancock, Korbyn Hancock, Talon Russell Parry, Weston Russell Parry, Kelton Russell Parry , Brayden Ford, Jackson Ford, Avery Adele York, Conner Hurt, Harper Hurt, and Hudson Hurt; and the current pet menagerie, Rowdy, Sparky, Oliver, and Bella.