Ina Dale Ford

Ina Dale Ford passed into rest on Monday September 16th, 2024 after a long, hard fight with pancreatic cancer. She was 77 years old.

 Ina was born in Fort Bragg, California on the 10th of December 1946 to Eugene Thomas and Lydia Sophia Hash (Stolpe). She spent her youth at their home in Petaluma, where she learned to ride and care for horses. She was active in the Petaluma Junior Riding Club and often spoke fondly of her time spent there.

She relocated to Ukiah in 1972, taking an administrative position with the Mendocino County Assessor’s Office, where she met her future husband, David Ford. Dave and Ina were married in 1976 and moved to Redwood Valley, where they would have two sons within the next four years. Ina then left the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom and homemaker for the next decade. She would become an active leader with Boy Scout Troop 77 when the boys were in elementary and middle school, and participated in many camping trips and summer camps. When the boys reached high school age, Ina stepped back into her career, beginning first with the Ukiah Unified School District where she worked as a secretary at Ukiah High for several years. She would later work in a number of other jobs including the Mendocino Private Industry Council (MPIC) and the City of Ukiah before finding a position with CAL FIRE in Human Resources in 2001. She enjoyed her work with CAL FIRE, and remained in this position until her retirement in 2012 following the birth of her first grandchild. Several years later she again worked briefly for the Mendocino County Recorder’s Office before fully embracing retirement. 

Those familiar with Ina knew her to be friendly and outgoing, and one to give constant thought to the wellbeing and happiness of those around her. Her “mothering” often extended to coworkers and friends, with generous time and food gifts to those around her. She had a great love for children and always took the opportunity to spoil not only her own, but also those of extended family and friends. Ina may be best remembered for her skill as a baker; the family home was always filled with fresh apple and pumpkin pies in the fall, chocolate toffees and peanut brittle at Christmas time, and cakes and cookies for any other family event (or no reason at all!). Christmas was a particular favorite time of year for Ina, and she would always endeavor to find a sufficiently robust tree that was capable of properly displaying her extensive Hallmark Ornament collection. 

Ina was preceded in death by her parents, Gene and Lydia. She is survived by David, her husband of 47 years, sons Russell Ford (wife Andria) and Kirk Ford (wife Katie), and grandchildren Harper, Beckett, and Hazel Ford. Memorial services will be held at Eversole Mortuary on Friday, September 27th at 10:00 am. There will be a brief graveside service at Russian River Cemetery to follow