James Craig Ford

Committal service at Idaho State Veteran's Cemetery on April 18th at 11am, immediately followed by a Life Celebration at Eagle Church of the Nazarene.

Jim, as he liked to be called, was born in Alhambra, California. He grew up in Southern California and graduated from Upland High School in 1967. He started his family in 1969 with marriage and the birth of his first son while in the U.S. Coast Guard. Jim served on an ice-breaker in the Antarctic and later on a patrol boat in San Diego.  Upon leaving the service, he delivered propane for a while and then took a government firefighter job at Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro in the early 70s. He earned his fire science degree from Chaffee College and in 1978 he moved his family to the Sacramento area where he transferred his job to McClellan AFB. He worked there until 1995 when the base closed and he retired as a Fire Captain. The station not only served the base but was first responder to some local Sacramento communities.

After he left the fire service, he joined the West Sacramento Police Department in a support capacity, performing such jobs as code/parking enforcement, crowd control, DUI checkpoint support, which freed up the officers for more serious tasks.  Jim honed his cooking and BBQ skills while working at the fire station(s). He loved the outdoors with a passion. He was an avid fisherman and gun enthusiast. He taught many people gun safety. When he wasn’t fishing or shooting, he’d be seen at home tying flies or getting ready for his next big expedition. He loved to commune with God and nature on a mountain top or stream bed.  In 2014, upon retiring (again) from the West Sacramento Police Department, he relocated to Star, ID with the love of his life, Cheryl. They built their dream home overlooking a lake, made lots of new friends, including many retired firefighters, and enjoyed life and retirement, being closer to some of his favorite fishing and camping spots.

Jim is survived by his love and life partner, Cheryl Burgess; his two sons, James L. Ford (Phoenix, AZ) and Brian Ford (Riverside, CA), as well as Cheryl’s two sons, Brandon Cosce (Seattle, WA) and Andrew Cosce (Georgetown, ID); His sister, Tina Ford (Reno, NV), Don Wilson (Reno, NV), brothers Brett Ford, Mitch Ford and sister Julie Ford, all of Southern California, and sister Belinda Mondrey (Longmont, CO); 6 grandchildren, a bazillion great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews, Aunts and Uncles and cousins. He is preceded in death by his brother Dane Allen Ford, his Father, James Allen Ford, and his mothers, Betty Wilson and Sue Ford.

He will be missed by all his family and friends. He was our hero!