Today, family, friends, colleagues and members of the wider Bermuda community will gather to lay to rest a man whose life of service touched countless people both at home and abroad.
Russ Ford was many things to many people — a husband, father, brother, grandfather, nurse, mentor and friend. But for countless families affected by HIV/AIDS, he was also a source of compassion, dignity, hope and support.
Ford was a driving force behind Agape House and the many initiatives associated with supporting people living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Through his nursing career and his commitment to service, he became a trusted figure to people during some of the most difficult periods of their lives.
His wife, Lynnee Ford reflecting on his life and their relationship, described a man who was consistent, resolute and true to his word.
She said Russ lived for his family and was a fierce defender of his wife, his children Dion, Russy and Renee, his grandchildren Gannon and Chase, his siblings, nieces, nephews and anyone else who came under his care.
For his family, he was the voice of reason — the person people turned to when they needed practical advice, reassurance or simply someone willing to listen.
But behind the public figure was a deeply humble man.
His wife said Russ never sought the spotlight and often did not fully appreciate the impact his work had on other people’s lives.
That impact, however, continued to reveal itself to his family even after his passing.
She recalled one evening when she and Russ were out to dinner and a man approached him.
The man told Russ that more than 20 years earlier, when he was struggling with addiction and contemplating ending his life, Russ had taken the time to see him, listen to him and treat him as a human being.
According to his wife, the man told Russ that while others had only seen his addiction and his circumstances, Russ had seen him.
It was a moment that left a lasting impression on her.
She said that was simply the kind of person Russ Ford was.
He did not care about a person’s background or circumstances. He saw the human being first.
His influence was not limited to Bermuda.
During rehabilitation in Arizona following an accident, his wife said people who had heard of Russ would come to his room in their wheelchairs simply to introduce themselves and tell him about the impact he had made on their lives.
For her, those moments confirmed something she already knew — that she was standing beside a man whose influence reached far beyond what he himself understood.
She described Russ as having a magnetic personality, a spirit of servitude and an ability to turn even the simplest interaction into a lesson.
For Russ, she said, helping another person was not an option — it was a way of life.
And that philosophy extended into his home.
He put his family first. He was dependable, caring and consistent.
His wife said she feels the loss of a man she describes as a “national treasure.”
Today, Bermuda says farewell to Russ Ford — the nurse, the husband, the father, the brother, the grandfather, the mentor and the friend.
But perhaps most importantly, Bermuda remembers Russ Ford, the man who saw people when others looked past them.
A man who listened.
A man who served.
A man who helped people believe that their lives still had value.
From the TNN News staff, family members and friends, we honor the life and legacy of Russ Ford.
Sleep in peace, Russ. Your work here is done, but your impact will live on.
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