George Ford Obituary

George Cook Ford III

Sep 18, 1946 - Oct 10, 2025

Norwalk

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

He was born September 18, 1946, in New London, to George Cook Ford II and Caroline 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 United States 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 receiving an honorable discharge, George attended Tri-State College (now Trine University) in Angola, Indiana, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Dayton School 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, George served as an assistant Huron County prosecutor in the 1980s before becoming the Huron County Public Defender in 1993. He served in that position while maintaining his private office until his retirement at the end of 2011.

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

Professionally, George was instrumental in resolving Huron County's longest-running case, a 40-year-old suit by the County Commissioners against the owners of the historic Whittlesey Academy building on the northwest side of Norwalk's square. After being asked by the Common Pleas Court to step in to untangle the protracted suit, 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 Norwalk required residents to provide copies of their federal income tax returns with their city income tax filings, George represented plaintiffs in an action against the city and successfully negotiated an end to the practice.

George was a long-standing member of the Young Men's Library and Reading Room Association, a 150-year-old organization originally formed to advocate for a public library in Norwalk.

George was preceded in death by his parents, George C. Ford II (1969) and Caroline S. Ford (1991); and brother, James S. Ford (2014). He is survived by his son, William Ford of Tiffin; his sister, Elizabeth Ford Kennedy (Richard) and children and grandchildren.

Friends may call from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, October 29, 2025, at Evans Funeral Home, 314 East Main Street, Norwalk. 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.