George Ford Obituary

George Cook Ford III

Sep 18, 1946 - Oct 10, 2025

Norwalk

George Cook Ford III, 79, passed away October 10, 2025, after a brief illness.

He was born September 18, 1946, in New London, to George Cook Ford II and Carolyn Sawyer Ford. His father, an attorney, moved his practice to Norwalk in the late 1950s. George graduated from Norwalk High School in 1964.

After high school, he served in the U.S. Army, completing a tour in Vietnam. George occasionally told stories about his time in Vietnam, but, like many soldiers who fought in that war, he only related humorous tales about Army life and some of the interesting people he had met.

After his honorable discharge, George attended Tri-State College (now Trine University) in Angola, Indiana, and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in 1972. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1977 and was admitted to practice law in Ohio that year.

After several years of law practice in the Dayton area, George returned to Norwalk and established a law practice in 1981. In addition to private practice, he worked as an assistant Huron County prosecutor in the 1980s before becoming Huron County Public Defender in 1993. He served in that position while maintaining his private office until his retirement in January 2012.

In private practice, George was well-known for being willing to help people from all walks of life, many of whom would otherwise be unable to afford legal assistance. Even in retirement, his desk at home was covered with legal files of those who had lost a car to repossession, were losing a home to foreclosure, or faced minor traffic or legal problems. Regardless of his client's circumstances, he always provided assistance.

Professionally, George was instrumental in resolving Huron County's longest-running case, a 40-year-old lawsuit between the Huron County Commissioners and owners of the historic Whittlesey Academy building on the northwest side of Norwalk's square. Having been asked by Common Pleas Court Judge Earl McGimpsey to step in to untangle the protracted lawsuit, George crafted a novel condominium-type organization of the owners of the building's individual spaces that generated funds to repair and preserve the building.

After several years during which the City of Norwalk required residents to provide their federal income tax returns with their city income tax filings, George represented plaintiffs who sued the city and successfully negotiated an end to the practice.

George was a long-standing member of Young Men's Library and Reading Room Association, a 150-year-old organization originally formed to advocate for a public library in Norwalk. He was also a member of local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2743 and St. Paul Episcopal Church.

George was preceded in death by his parents, George C. Ford II (1969) and Carolyn S. Ford (1991) and brother James S. Ford (2015).

He is survived by his son, William Ford of Tiffin; his sister, Elizabeth Ford Kennedy (Richard); and his children and grandchildren.

Friends may call from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Evans Funeral Home, 314 East Main Street, Norwalk. His funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, October 30, 2025, at St. Paul Episcopal Church, 87 West Main Street, Norwalk.

Burial will be performed privately at the Ford family plot at Woodlawn Cemetery.