Deceased: Richard Eldon Michael Ford

Richard Eldon Ford passed away peacefully on Friday, June 17, 2011 in San Jose, California, after a 15 month struggle with glioblastoma. He was 55, born in Oxnard, California, on June 5, 1956. He is survived by his loving wife, Donelle Morgan.
During his active life, Richard, always known as "Rick," was a mortician and funeral director, real estate broker, attorney, and accountant. When not engaged in his various professions, Rick obtained his private pilot license, flying a Beech Bonanza all over the West. He rode off-road motorcycles, loved to camp, explore, cook, whitewater raft, and travel. A sense of adventure embued Rick. There was nothing he didn't do, and everything he did was done well.
Rick was both a resident of San Jose, California, and Cambria, California, where he and his wife had a beach house since 1998. Rick and Donelle divided their time between their two homes as their professional lives allowed. From 2004-2007, Rick lived in Cambria full time, while Donelle commuted to the Bay area via their Bonanza.
After graduating from Santa Clara University in 1978, Rick became employed by the Lima Family Mortuary in Santa Clara, California. With a degree in Mortuary Science from the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science, Valedictorian, Class of 1979, Rick became involved in all aspects of funeral home management and operation. During that time Rick also obtained his real estate broker's license and took classes at San Jose State to become an accountant. Eventually, his desire to improve himself lead to enrollment in Lincoln University Law School in 1987. He graduated magna cum laude in 1991, joining the law firm of Atwood, Knox, Anderson, Uzzi and DiNapoli as an associate attorney. In 1994, shortly after becoming an associate of Olimpia, Whelan & Lively, Rick was admitted as a partner, doing civil and family law litigation with gusto.
Despite his success in the legal arena, or perhaps because of it, Rick took a break from the demands of the profession and resumed his prior employment in the funeral business, accepting a position as funeral director with Chapel of the Roses in Atascadero, California from 2004-2007; he considered himself semi-retired. Ever restless, in January 2008 Rick returned to his professional life in San Jose, joining the accountancy firm of McMahan Helfrick Thiercof & Butera to do litigation support, using his family law certification and accounting background to great advantage. It was a job he loved, and he used his considerable vacation to do much travelling with Donelle, to England, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, along with many weeks of camping and motorcycling in his beloved Southern Utah.
Rick's spirit, intelligence, and love for life were enormous. He will be greatly mourned .
A private burial took place at the Cambria Cemetary. Those wishing to honor Rick may make a donation to Best Friends Animal Society, Kanab, Utah.
"We wish you shelter from the raging wind, cool waters at the fever's end, a light to guide you through the dark, and wings to take you home." Fly well, Rick.