Deacon Emory Milton Ford, Jr.

Deacon Emory Milton Ford, a beloved husband, father, uncle and friend, made his journey to Heaven to be with the Lord, on July 14, 2024. He was born on Tuesday, May 12, 1953, in Lake View, SC, to the late Ember (Bud) and Alberta (Bert) Ford, who instilled in their son a strong spiritual upbringing. He accepted the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at a young age. His young and hungry spirit was fed, and he diligently served at Union African Methodist Episcopal Church. He grew up and spent his early childhood and teenage years in Lake View, SC, working on the family farm.

He attended the Lake View public schools and graduated from Lake View High School in 1971. Emory furthered his education and received a degree from Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Conway, SC.
In pursuit of bigger and better opportunities that complimented his work ethic, he joined the United States Air Force and was assigned to Eglin AFB in Florida. After serving four years, Sgt. Emory Ford was honorably discharged from the Air Force to Ft. Walton Beach, FL, where he met the love of his life, Terreance (Terre) Oliver. They moved to Houston, TX, and married on August 1, 1980, and raised their son, Frank J. Perkins.

Emory was a ‘hands-on’ father, instilling Christian values into the rearing of his beloved son. He later settled into a career at Exxon Mobil, working in the mailroom and as a Hazardous Materials Handler. He would go on to later retire from Exxon Mobil.

After settling in Texas, he joined Riceville Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Joe Dean Johnson. While there, he was a faithful Sunday School attendee, and loved to sing with the Male Chorus. He was the church van coordinator and driver for all church services, outings, and funerals. He drove the tractor and cut the church grounds. Anywhere his hands were needed, he was willing to help.

He was ordained as a Deacon and served the church until his health began to fail. Deacon Ford’s defining traits were his bright smile, magnetic personality, humble spirit, and his ability to solve intricate problems that others would shy away from. These traits alone allowed him to stand out in the church and work environments. He was the life of any event, starring his lively laugh and humorous banter. Emory will be profoundly missed.