Date of death: 11/17/2024
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1966
Ben was the first-born child of Harold Bennett Ford and Helen Bernadine Kirchner. He arrived at the St. Joseph’s Infirmary in Louisville KY on March 15, 1940. Ben was joined by his brother Robert (Bob) in 1942 and later by his sister Susan in 1943. As a child Ben attended the Saint Denis School through 8th grade, and thereafter completed his high school education at Saint Thomas Seminary in preparation for his formation into the priesthood. Shortly after graduating high school he decided on an alternate life path and instead earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bellarmine University in 1963.
Ben subsequently initiated his Masters degree studies in American History at the University of Arizona where he was also heavily involved in the formation of Newman Centers in the region. Life in the southwest was a bit more than the Kentuckian could handle, and so he returned home without completing his degree. In the mid 60s the Vietnam conflict was escalating and many men of Ben’s age were being drafted to serve in the armed forces. Instead of waiting to be called up, he enlisted with the United States Air Force and was stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Ben served as a psychiatric ward specialist for 4 years, and achieved the rank of Sergeant before being honorably discharged. During his time at Andrews he assisted with social functions for the benefit of patients, events that were co-sponsored by the American Red Cross. It was during one of these functions that he met a Red Cross volunteer named Mary-Louise Meyer. They quickly became close companions, and weremarried in November of 1968. According to Ben, Mary-Louise convinced him to accompany her to an antique shop one afternoon only to find himself purchasing a ring for a potential future engagement. The ring was on her finger before they got back to the car, but Ben did not seem to mind.
Ben and Mary-Louise welcomed their first son Thomas in 1970, and shortly thereafter moved to Lexington so that Ben could work towards his Masters degree in Library Science at the University of Kentucky. Around the same time Ben finished the outstanding coursework for his advanced degree in American History at Murray State University. In 1973 Ben and Mary- Louise brought their second son, Matthew into the world. Ben then moved with his family to Lawton OK where he took a job as a librarian at Cameron University.
In addition to his career as an academic librarian, Ben maintained a high level of engagement as a husband and a father. When Wilson elementary school (where his children attended) sought new leadership for the Parent Teacher Association he and Mary-Louise stepped in as co-presidents. When his son Thomas and his classmates sought to form a basketball team he agreed to lead them as their head coach. When his son Matthew’s troop of Boy Scouts became leaderless, he assumed the role of Scout Master. When Mary-Louise struggled with her first bout of breast cancer he absorbed many of the household duties and drove his wife to her chemotherapy appointments. Ben may not have always known what he was doing when first taking on these roles, but he stepped up and made a difference when it mattered the most. Ben was a provider for his family and leader in his community.
In the early 1980s Ben and his family relocated to Ramsey NJ for his new job opportunity as a librarian at Fairleigh Dickinson University. The next few years proved challenging as Mary-Louise struggled with recurring bouts of cancer, a disease she succumbed to in 1987. Ben suddenly found himself a single father of two teenage boys. He adjusted his work schedule by taking on a new librarian role at Bergen Catholic High School, which allowed him to spend evenings and summers at home with his sons. It was during these years that Ben also became an active Catholic again, eventually assuming facilitator roles for multiple bible study groups each week.
Ben retired in his early 50s, relocated to northeastern PA outside Scranton, and then dedicated the next two decades of his life to various pursuits of spiritual development. This included continuing to facilitate multiple bible study groups, participating in prison ministry at the Lackawanna County Prison, organizing and speaking at Cursillo weekend retreats, and preparation of catechists as part of the leadership team for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Ben also became certified as a spiritual director to help others along their spiritual journeys. During these spiritual pursuits Ben met his second wife Joan Abbitt, whom he married in 1995. Joan died unexpectedly in the summer of 1997.
In 2011 Ben relocated to the Portland area to be near his son Matthew and his family. He remained active in church life at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Forest Grove, St. Matthew’s in Hillsboro, and The Madeleine in northeast Portland. He happily picked up his granddaughters from The Madeleine School for years while he was still physically able, and struck up conversations with any parent, grandparent, or teacher that crossed his path.
Ben passed away in his sleep during the early morning hours of November 17, 2024. He is survived by his sons Thomas and Matthew, his daughter-in-laws Jennifer and Windy, and his five grandchildren Nora, Louisa, Colin, Amelia, and Lauren.