Francis M. Ford

Wasilla resident Francis M. Ford, 80, died Feb. 25, 2011, at his residence when he lost his second battle with cancer.

Visitation is 3 to 8 p.m., March 4 at Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel of Anchorage, 440 E. Klatt Road (on the grounds of Angelus Memorial Park Cemetery). Memorial services will be at a later date in Seattle.

Francis was born May 19, 1930, in Tucson, Ariz. He joined the U.S. Army in 1946, was based at Williams Air Force Base in Chandler, Ariz., and was a 3525th Squadron Pilot Training Wing, was awarded the World War II Medal of Victory in 1947 and was discharged in 1949.

He received his culinary arts degree from Seattle Central Community College in 1969. He came to Alaska in 1978 and lived in Anchorage until 1999, at which time he moved to Wasilla and he retired from Westin Alyeska Prince Hotels in 2004.

He was a member of the Catholic Church, the Free Masons Lodge of Seattle, a life member of VFW Post 9978 in Anchorage and a member of the American Legion, also out of Anchorage. He volunteered at the Palmer Senior Center. He loved to joke, cook, travel and spend time talking on the phone with his grandchildren.

According to his family, “Francis loved his family, loved to go out with his friends and was always the life of the party. His true passion was cooking. He held on to old secret recipes passed down through the generations from Texas on his mother’s side of the family. He also was an outdoorsman, which might explain his love for Alaska and his time on the slopes of Prudhoe Bay, which and ended with a joyfully fulfilled career and life here in Wasilla.”

He is survived by his wife, Lorriette Ford of Wasilla; sons, Artez and Francis Ford, both of Seattle; grandchildren, Constance, Eurecia, Carajean, Cyentha, Artina and Rabecka, all of Seattle, and Francis Ford Jr. of New Orleans, La.; great-grandchildren, Ajani, Javion and Amari, all of Seattle; brothers, Richard A. Ford of San Diego, Calif., and Michael A. Ford of Atlanta, Ga.; nephews, Andrae and Darnell Ford of Santiago, Calif., and niece, Sabrina Wright, all of San Diego.

The family has requested any memorial contributions be directed to the family through any Alaska USA branch, account No. 1586181.

Arrangements by Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel and Crematory of Wasilla.