Al Ford, a beloved San Mateo teacher, coach, mentor, athlete, and community leader for more than 40 years, passed away peacefully at Silverado Memory Care in Belmont on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024.
Al was born on July 2, 1938, in St. Francisville, LA, to Charlie Ford and Carrie Bounds Ford. He began his career in Education with the San Mateo Foster City School District (SMFCSD) in 1967, teaching History and Physical Education at Bayside Middle School. At Bayside, he found his true passion—coaching and mentoring students. Later, in 1992, Al served as Vice Principal at Borel Middle School and continued coaching, which left an indelible mark on countless young lives. He retired in 1999 from SMFCSD. Al also dedicated many years to the San Mateo Parks and Recreation Department, managing the Martin Luther King Center Pool. He instilled a sense of community in all these roles.
A man of deep faith, Al was a devoted member of Pilgrim Baptist Church of Castro Valley for many years. Al led the men’s Bible study, chaired the scholarship golf tournaments, and was a leader in the congregation-driven ministry.
Al’s memory will live on in the hearts of his loving wife of 26 years, Jan Ford; his first wife Frances Powe Ford; his children, Derenda Whitfield, Felicia Fuller, Deborah Irabor (Mark), Hakim Muhammad (Carolyn), and Wade Ford; his grandchildren, Dana and Travis Whitfield, Brianna Moncrief (Justin), Mark Irabor, Jr. (Danisha), Daniel Irabor (Amanda), and Michael Irabor; and great-grandchildren Ilias, Ilijah, Essence, and Kairo Irabor. Al was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, three sisters and his granddaughter, Brittany Whitfield.
Al will be greatly missed. He was a man of unwavering character, boundless generosity, and a deep love for his family and community. His impact will continue to be felt by all those who knew him, and his legacy will live on in the lives that he has enriched.
Services will be held on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Sneider, Sullivan & O’Connell’s, San Mateo, CA. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
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Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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