Obituary of Fay Hagel Ford

Fay H. Ford, age 83, of West Monroe, LA passed from this life on March 17, 2020 at her home in Columbia, LA. She became a resident of Columbia as she began a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer and lymphoma in early 2019. Through the years, Fay was an honorary resident of Caldwell Parish as she spent numerous hours supporting her granddaughters in 4‐H activities and school events as Grayson Warriors and Caldwell Spartans. She was born on January 26, 1937 in Lake Providence, Louisiana to parents, Jack and Marie Hagel. She learned the value of community service in her early years as serving as Worthy Advisor (president) of her local assembly of Rainbow Girls. After graduating from business college in 1957 in Monroe, LA, she worked for law and architectural firms. She was active in Extension Homemaker Clubs and was a 4‐H Club Leader in Ouachita Parish. Her passion for cooking, gardening and sewing was passed on to her daughters and granddaughters. As a community volunteer, she was a founding member of the Cheniere Drew Water System. She later retired from the Ouachita Parish School System as a bus driver. In her retirement, she became an avid collector of antiques. Fay and Travis Ford celebrated 62 years of marriage on June 29, 2019. This wedding anniversary is shared with Ashton and Adam Bruce (2019) and Cynthia and Dean Cockerham (2012). Services will be held Wednesday, March 18. Visitation will be at 4 p.m. in the chapel at Riser Funeral Home in Columbia. A graveside service will follow at 5 p.m. in Columbia Hill cemetery with Rev. Terry Townsend officiating. She is survived by her husband, Travis J. Ford; her daughters, Renee Cross of Homer and Cynthia Cockerham (Dean) of Jena; her grandchildren Jade Pilcher Bass (Tyler) of Dallas, TX, Ashton Pilcher Bruce (Adam) of Columbia and Travis Cross of Homer; sister, Ruth H. Wall of Ruston, and brother John Hagel (Josie) of Lake Providence. Pallbearers will be Dean Cockerham, Tyler Bass, Adam Bruce and Travis Cross. A special thanks to the medical staff at Oncology Associates of Monroe, Dr. Coy Gammage, Louisiana Extended Care Hospital (Glenwood) and Haven Rehab for their dedication to their patients and their families. Memorials can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital or the St. Francis Neonatal Unit.