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FORD -- Benjamin Pierson Ford, III, of Albuquerque, died Saturday, September 26, 2009, after a long illness. He was born November 5, 1922, in Newark, NJ, son of Edwin Shepard Ford and Dorothy Quinby Applegate Ford. Benjamin graduated from Hoosac School, Hoosick, NY, in 1941. He was a volunteer ambulance driver for the American Field Service during WWII, serving with the British and French armies in Syria, North Africa, Italy, Western Europe and India. Benjamin was awarded the British Empire Medal. In 1947, he married Priscilla Whitcomb. In 1948, Benjamin received his AB from Princeton cum laude (as of the class of 1945) and an STM in 1951 from General Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church as a deacon in 1951, and a priest in 1952. Benjamin served as deacon at St. James Church, New York City; as priest on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota; rector of St. Matthew's Church, Moravia, NY, and St. Stephen's Church, Woodlawn, NY; and chaplain and teacher at Trinity School for Boys in New York City. After a sabbatical year of graduate study at University of New Mexico, he served as vicar of San Juan Mission to the Navajo in Farmington for nine years, followed by seven years as rector of St. Matthew's Church, Indianapolis. Benjamin then spent three years in Belize, C.A. as a missionary priest serving several congregations throughout the country, followed by an interim in Washington, IN. After his retirement in 1984, he served as an assistant at St. James' Church in Grimsby, England. Benjamin and Priscilla enjoyed a 15 year retirement near the coast of Maine, during which time they were active with the National Audubon Society, and he served two interims, in Eastport and at St. John Baptist in Thomaston. He leaves behind his wife of 62 years, Priscilla Ford of Albuquerque, NM; his three children, Josephine H. Ford of Albuquerque, Louise V. Ford and husband, Clay Wygant, of Albuquerque and Benjamin P. Ford, IV, and wife, Linda Ford, of Rochester, NY; three grandchildren, Charlotte and Stuart Wygant of Albuquerque and Sonya Mikhnevich of Rochester, NY; his sister, Sarah Fraizer of Barefoot Bay, FL; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Memorial Services will be held Saturday, October 3, 2009, 1:00 p.m., at St. Michael and All Angels Church, 601 Montano Rd. NW. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Episcopal Relief and Development, 815 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017, and OXFAM. Please visit our online guestbook for Benjamin at RememberTheirStory.com French 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400
        Published on: Fri October 02, 2009