Obituary of Cheryl Ann Ford

Cheryl Ann Ford, known to her friends as Ann, of Shoreham Village, Fairfield, CT, passed away unexpectedly on March 26th at Bridgeport Hospital.

Ann loved being a mom and is survived by her beloved son, Mark Ford, of Fairfield CT. She is also survived by her mother Mildred (Boerger) Ford of Fort Myers, FL, who she spoke to everyday, and her cousin, Carol Dacey and family of New Canaan, CT. Ann and Carol grew up together.

In the last year of her life, Ann met her partner, Dave Caplan, in the choir group at The Unitarian Church in Westport. She glowed after meeting Dave, loved meeting his family and spending weekends in Plainfield, MA. Ann will also be greatly missed by her best friend, Pamela Thompson and her daughter Hally McGehean and family of Middletown, NY and Brooklyn, NY.

Ann is predeceased by her father William Ford and her brother David Ford.

Ann was born October 17, 1952 in Geneva, Ohio. She attended The Laurel School in Shaker Heights, Ohio and went on to get a B.S. degree in 1976 from Indiana University, Bloomington where she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She received her Masters in social work from Columbia University in 1992.

After an early career in business, Ann transitioned to her true professional calling: she was an a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an early adopter of the EMDR practice. She was an Adult Mobile Crisis Clinician for Bridges Healthcare of Milford, CT, assisting individuals and families in the midst of mental health crises from Milford, Orange and West Haven in close collaboration with the police department.

Ann was a longtime member of the Unitarian Church in Westport, CT where was involved in many groups over the years. She was a former member of the board of trustees. Ann sang in the Folk Choir under the direction of Edward Thompson. She also served as the recording secretary for Voices Cafe Coffeehouse Committee.

As a direct descendent of Andrew Ford, she was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Ann was a storyteller and loved genealogy and finding evidence of ancestors in Plainfield, MA. 

She was a 35-year member of the Star Island LOAS1 community where she would often go out early in the season to help garden and was known for selling the best clams and mussels.

Ann’s talents and interests were many. She was once a beekeeper and was an avid gardener in her yard in Shoreham Village. She also kept the neighborhood birds well fed. She was a passionate pickleball player and she went to the gym in Fairfield several times a week. She loved antiques and auctions—especially Blackrock Gallery’s online auctions—where she got fabulous buys. Ann was also an excellent photographer and would often be seen with a camera at social gatherings. She loved living near the beach where she enjoyed swimming and kayaking. She was a lover of orange tabby cats. Her current cat, Blaze, is being well cared for by her son.

She was actively involved in meditation groups throughout the Fairfield County area as well as many local book groups. She was a proud participant of the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. in 2017 and found time to be a part of political and social activism her whole life.

Ann’s loving, kind, generous, forgiving, patient and vibrant spirit touched all who were lucky enough to know her. She will be greatly missed by family, friends and the communities she touched.

A memorial service celebrating Ann's life will be held on April 13th, Saturday at 1 PM in the Unitarian Church of Westport, 10 Lyons Plains Road.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to organizations or causes that were important to Ann.

The Unitarian Church in Westport: https://uuwestport.org/mission-statement/donation/

The Star Island Annual Fund: https://starisland.thankyou4caring.org/donate

Bridges Healthcare: https://www.bridgesct.org/website/publish/help/index.php?Donate-Online-Today-2