Bertie C. Ford

Bertie Lee Carter Ford, 92 of Patriots Colony in Williamsburg, Va, formerly of Hopewell, Va, passed away peacefully on Mon. Nov. 4, 2013 with her family by her side. She was predeceased in 1995 by her husband, Dorsey Bridges Ford who was the retired president and CEO of Pioneer Federal Savings and Loan. She is also predeceased by her sisters Sarah Carter Wells, Ida Maie Carter and Ruby Carter Bryant, and her brothers Harry T. Carter, William Carter, and James Carter Taylor, as well as her aunt and uncle, Bertie Carter Robins and Frederick Arthur Robins who raised her in Hopewell, Va. Bertie was born 9/16/21 in Wallace, NC, the 6th of 7 children to the late Harry Taylor Carter and Ida Maie Edwards Carter. The family moved shortly after to Elm City, NC. Her mother died when she wasn’t quite 3 years old, and following her funeral her mother’s sister and her husband took the baby, James to live with them. When Bertie was 8 years old she came to Hopewell where she lived with her Aunt Bertie and Uncle Fred during the school year. Summers and holidays were spent with her brothers and sisters in Elm City. Bertie graduated from Hopewell High School in 1938, then attended the Comptometer School in Richmond, Va. She worked at Woods Dairy, and then for the C&O Railroad, both in Richmond, for 13 ½ years. She married Dorsey Bridges Ford on October 16, 1949. They were married nearly 46 years. In 1997 she moved to Patriot’s Colony, a continuing care retirement community, in Williamsburg, Va. Bertie is survived by her daughter Sarah Ford Bland and her husband, William R. Bland, and her beloved granddaughters Robin Dorsey Bland, Martha “Mollie” Carter Bland, and Elizabeth “Libby” James Bland all of Williamsburg, Va; a special niece, Betsy Wells Schrum of Kingsport, TN; and a special nephew William Jennings Bryant and his wife, Fran, of Haw River, NC.; and her brothers-in-law Charles James Ford of Richmond, and William Vernon Ford and his wife, Pat of Arlington, Va. She is also survived by many other nieces and nephews. Bertie was a homemaker and avid bridge player. She is a former member of First United Methodist Church, Hopewell, Jordan Point Country Club and The Women’s Club of Hopewell. She dearly loved her little dog, Muffin. The family will receive friends from 6:30pm to 8pm on Thursday November 7, 2013 at the Hopewell Chapel of J.T .Morriss & Son Funeral Home and Cremation Service. A memorial service will be held at 11:00am on Friday, November 8, 2013 at Patriot’s Colony 6200 Patriot Colony Drive Williamsburg, Va, 23188 with a reception to follow. A graveside service will be held 3pm on Friday November 8, 2013 in Merchants Hope Memorial Gardens Prince George, VA. The family would like to thank the staff at Patriots Colony for their compassion and loving care. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army’s Children’s Christmas Fund, 151 Kristiansand Dr., Williamsburg, VA 23188, the Heritage Humane Society, 430 Waller Mill Rd., Williamsburg, VA 23185, or the Jesse Elizabeth Scholarship Fund, Early Childhood School of Music, Williamsburg United Methodist Church, 500 Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg, Va 23185. Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorriss.com .