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Ford, Leighton
Leighton Ford, 94, of Marion, died Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013, at Willow Gardens Care Center, Marion. Funeral services: 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Marion, by the Rev. Dr. Howard Chapman. The family will greet guests two hours before the service at the funeral home on Tuesday. Burial: Oak Shade Cemetery, Marion.
Survivors include children, James (Sue) Ford of Marion, Russell (JoAnn) Ford of Mason City, Beth (David) Steele of Eagan, Minn., and Paul Ford of Cedar Rapids; seven grandchildren, Tammi (Ben) Morrison of Marion, Cameron (Melissa) Ford of Marion, Michael Steele of Stillwater, Minn., Annie (Derek) Hunt of Burnsville, Minn., Matthew Steele of Eagan, Minn., Kelly Townsend of College Station, Texas and Michael Townsend of Dallas, Texas; five great-grandchildren; and a sister, Reva Dice of Wooster, Ohio.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Myrtle Carver Ford; wife, Joyce Ford; three sisters, Eleanor and Doris Ford and Phyllis Scheer; and two brothers, Russell and Lynn Ford.
Leighton was born Jan. 28, 1918, in Garwin, son of Harry and Myrtle Carver Ford. He married Joyce Eicher in Wayland, Iowa, on June 25, 1950. He was a United States Army Air Force veteran, serving during World War II, assigned to a B-17 bomber squadron from 1942-1945.
He joined the Marion Police Department in 1940 and served as chief from 1948-1973. After retiring from the police department he worked for the State of Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division and later as an investigator for the Linn County Friend of Court Office and two years at the Linn County Attorney's office. Leighton organized and served as chief of the newly formed Cedar Rapids airport Police/Fire Safety Force. He also served as a council member for the City of Marion.
He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Marion and Iowa State Policemen's Association, Iowa Chiefs of Police Association and also many other police organizations. He was also a member of the Marion American Legion Post 298.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Marion Police Department, 3911 Katz Dr., Marion, IA 52302.
Please sign the online guest book for Leighton at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
Published Jan. 14, 2013 in The Gazette
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