Brian Robb Ford

Brian Robb Ford, 62, passed away the morning of June 4, 2021, after a long and courageous battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To his last day, Brian made every effort to fulfill his life responsibilities.  Brian was born August 30, 1958, in Nampa, Idaho.  He was the third child of James A. Ford and Lenta M. Ford.  Brian’s childhood included many happy days playing with friends, cousins, and his siblings in his Davis Avenue neighborhood and at his grandparent’s farm located north of Nampa.   

            Brian attended Lincoln Grade School, West Junior High School and Nampa High School, graduating with honors from Nampa High School in 1976.  Brian was an excellent student and  participated in numerous school activities during these years. He was a delegate to Idaho Boys State.  He was the starting center for the Nampa High School football team his junior and senior years.  He played tennis and was on the debate team.  He was also an accomplished musician that played various instruments in the Nampa High School band, orchestra, jazz band and in a non-school related performance band.  

Brian attended the College of Idaho from 1976 through 1981, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and with minors in Business Administration, and Science Education. While attending the College of Idaho, Brian was engaged in many school activities, including student government, club sports, and fund raising for the college.  Brian served as the College of Idaho Student Body President from 1980-1981 and in that capacity, he also served as a student member of the Board of Trustees.  After graduating from the College of Idaho, Brian attended the University of Idaho from 1981-1983, where he was awarded a Master of Science Degree in Clinical/Industrial Psychology. While pursuing his master’s degree at the University of Idaho, Brian also served as a graduate assistant, therapist, and instructor of college classes. 

Brian’s work career began early as a delivery person for the Idaho Free Press. While attending junior high, high school and college, Brian worked for Consumer’s Markets in Nampa where he learned the retail grocery business.   From 1983 through 1988 Brian worked for Ford Farms, the family wholesale and retail business located in Nampa while simultaneously managing  his personal investment portfolio.  From 1988 through 1998 Brian worked as the Assistant Store Director at the 12 Ave. South, Nampa, Albertsons.  During this period, he met his soulmate and the love of his life, Tyra.  They were married in Nampa on December 9, 1989.  From 1998 through 2005 Brian served as the Store Director for Paul’s Markets in Caldwell and Hailey Idaho.  From 2005 until his health-related retirement Brian worked as an Adult Mental Health Clinician in the Region III, Payette Office of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

            Brian had many interests throughout his life.  In addition to playing sports and engaging in school activities, Brian simply loved being in the outdoors.  While growing up he joined family and friends on many Jeeping, fishing and camping trips in the Idaho back country.  The family enjoyed yearly camping trips to Sage Hen Reservoir and spent many weekends exploring the Owyhee desert and mountains in the family jeep. As an adult, Brian enjoyed prospecting with his father as well as fishing and hunting with friends, family and his wife, Tyra.  He caught mahi-mahi off the coast of Oahu, harvested elk and white tail deer in the back country near Grangeville, Idaho.  White tail deer hunting was one of Brian’s true passions.  He and Tyra looked forward each year to joining their friends at a hunting rendezvous in McComas Meadows, Idaho.  Brian and Tyra also enjoyed yearly pilgrimages to Lincoln City, Oregon where Brian savored the beauty and allure of the ocean as well as the fresh seafood that he consumed.  As a former football player, Brian found great happiness in watching college and professional football each fall.  He particularly enjoyed rooting for his Pittsburg Steelers and had accumulated a fine collection of Steeler memorabilia.  Over the years Brian treasured and coddled his canine kids.  Bassets and beagles were his favorites.  He is survived by Moose the basset and Izzy the beagle who provided him with great comfort over these last several years.

            Brian was a moral man, always demonstrating the highest character in every endeavor.    He worked extraordinary long hours at every job he held throughout his lifetime because he wanted the job done right and timely.  His personal commitment to always make an extra effort likely contributed to some of his later life health issues.  Brian was also a very loving, kind, and happy person that cared about everybody he knew.   He was particularly dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of the clients he served while working for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.  This good and unselfish man served others well and contributed significantly to the betterment of this world during his lifetime. He has left us far too soon. Words cannot adequately express how much his family and friends will miss him. 

            Brian is survived by his wife, Tyra Ford, and children Adrian (Stacy) Skinner of Hermiston Oregon, John (Malia) Wasson of Nampa, Idaho, and Jackie Nelson of Sacramento, California;  He is survived by grandchildren Danielle, Wyatt and Carter Skinner and Payton and Caden Wasson;  Brian is also survived by his father, James A. Ford of Nampa, his brother Bradly (Margene) Ford of Nampa, and sister Jamie Tiller of Nampa; Brian is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and good friends that loved him very much. 

            Brian was preceded in death by his mother, Lenta M. Ford, and a granddaughter Ofelia Nardo.

            A memorial Service honoring Brian will be held at the First United Presbyterian Church located at 400 Lake Lowell Ave., Nampa, Idaho at 1:00 p.m. on June 19, 2021. All family and friends are invited.  Brian’s family suggest that memorial contributions be made in Brian’s honor to the General Scholarship Fund of the College of Idaho.

Eulogy:

Comments for Brian Ford Memorial Service

Good afternoon!  On behalf of Tyra and Brian’s family, I want to thank all of you for being here today to honor him and to celebrate his remarkable life.  Brian’s passing caught us all a little by surprise and was a sobering reminder of the precariousness of life on this earth. This church played an important role in Brian’s life.   Brian, Jamie, and I all attended Sunday School in this church; we were baptized and confirmed in this church; and we were all married in this church.  Now, we gather here today to celebrate this wonderful man on his passing. 

  A summary of Brian’s life is set forth in the obituary provided to you as an insert in the Memorial Service brochures.  In eulogizing my brother, I simply cannot adequately address all of his accomplishments and good qualities in the limited time we have today. Brian was in every way an incredibly great person that lived his convictions and always demonstrated great compassion and concern for other people.  Over the next few minutes, I will share with you some precious memories of our time with Brian and some of the characteristics that made him so special. 

I was the oldest and Brian was the sixth born of seventeen first cousins, who were born to the seven children of our grandparents, Emanuel and Lillie Gomer.  The seventeen cousins have remained close throughout the years.  Several of them are here today.  Our grandparents owned a dairy farm north of Nampa.  That farm along with our Ford family home located on Davis Avenue in Nampa were the playgrounds of our childhood. 

Jamie, Brian, and I have always known that we were the beneficiaries of an idyllic childhood.  We were fortunate to have been born to loving, caring parents that nurtured us in every way.  Our home was a sanctuary of love, security, and solid moral guidance.  We have always loved each other and have remained close throughout our lives.

On our grandparent’s farm, we played for hours in a setting of animals, gardens, and rural life.  The small turn-of-the-century farmhouse was the scene of endless hours of rambunctious play with each other and with our “cousins” who, like us, frequented the farm. 

Some of our more challenging farm activities included out-running free roaming “attack Roosters’ in the farmyard, throwing driveway gravel at about every possible target while simultaneously attempting to avoid our Grandfather’s clearly expressed dismay over us throwing the rocks.  We fed calves that would knock us around or down in their aggressive effort to be the first fed.  The big barn on the farm was approximately 100 yards from the house, but at night it seemed like a mile.  So, as individuals or as a group, our early childhood nighttime forays from the farmhouse to the barn to check on the adults would start out as a slow, confident walk that quickly evolved into a full-on sprint to avoid being devoured by whatever imaginary predators lurked in the darkness.  We spent hours playing hide and seek or tag chasing each other around inside or outside of the farmhouse.  Our grandmother cooked donuts or other goodies on a woodburning Majestic Stove while the three of us lined up to assist her by salvaging donut holes or other leftover goodies freshly plucked from her skillet. 

There were gatherings at the farm such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Birthdays.  One of Brian and my favorite days each year was the opening day of pheasant season where most of the family would gather for an afternoon of bird hunting followed by a big family feast.  The adrenaline driven excitement and anticipation of the hunt was something that remained ingrained in both Brian and I throughout our lives.   As we got older, Brian and I continued to venture out to hunt for pheasants and ducks in the fields and ditches surrounding the farm property.  We eventually got old enough to assist with chores and work on the farm which taught us many good life lessons.  In addition to the mischief, fun and games enjoyed, I particularly remember how much Brian enjoyed spending time with our grandfather’s pets. Grandpa’s Dachshund dogs and calico cats were his favorites.  Over the years, the three of us have reminisced with much laugher, these simple, happy days on the farm.

Our family home on Davis Avenue in Nampa was originally located a significant distance back from Davis Ave. in the middle of approximately three acres.  The front yard made a perfect “work up baseball” or football field for all the kids in the neighborhood.  If you have ever seen the movie Sandlot, that was what it was like in our front yard only the games always  included both boys and girls as participants. We spent countless hours, especially in the summertime, playing baseball or football with our neighborhood friends.  These games generally did not end until darkness intervened.  Brian was very athletic and excelled in these never-ending contests.  He was in his element and never wanted the fun to end.  The rest of the Ford family compound consisted of a balanced mixture of orchards, tall grass and dirt piles that served as the perfect location for neighborhood stealth and “combat” games as well as BMX style bicycle racing.  The dirt clods made perfect grenades and many successful ambushes were launched from the tall grass or from the trees.  There were frequent dangerous competitions and marvelous wrecks on the meandering bicycle trails.  Daredevil Brian would often pull off the best and most risky stunts which included multiple passengers on the bike, jumping piles of dirt and extended wheelies.  He was also the source of some spectacular bicycle crashes.  We eventually threw in a few BB guns and bottle rockets to enhance the quality of these adventures.  Brian was always happy and fully engaged in these competitive events. 

Jamie will mention in her letter that one of our favorite self-created games was lining up in our yard at the edge of the street to race cars accelerating away from the intersection of Canyon and Davis about five houses away.  When a car left the intersection headed west on Davis, we would take off running toward the front step of our house.  This was a very long run.  The objective was to reach the front step before the car passed in front of our property.  There were dire consequences for anyone failing to timely make it to the step. This game had some special bail out rules which I will not elaborate on at this time.   This was just a silly, made up, but very fun game in a pre-video world that has remained imprinted in our minds to this date.  Brian loved to play this game and raced like the wind even though he had shorter legs than either Jamie or myself.  

As we grew older, we all became more engaged in school activities and work. We always supported each other.  Brian was an excellent student, athlete, and musician.  We watched proudly as he excelled in the classroom, at football, at tennis and in other school activities.  He could pick up and play any instrument and loved to play music.  He played in multiple bands during these years.  On one occasion while he was playing football, he for some reason also had to play in the Nampa High School marching band.   I believe this was during a special half time presentation. Everyone else in the band had on their band uniforms, but upon careful observation, we discovered that Brian was on the field marching with the band instrument in hand, while fully dressed in his football uniform.    It was a funny and inspiring sight that reminds us how dedicated he was to fulfil his every commitment.  

Brian’s work ethic was legendary.  He worked hard at every job he had from the time he delivered papers as a grade schooler until he very, very reluctantly had to retire from his job with the Idaho Department of Welfare due to his declining health.   He completed his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees while working.  Throughout his professional life he never rested until the job was done right, even if it meant working long hours not required by his employer. He was unselfish and cared more about the quality of his work and the people he was working for than for himself.  He had great pride in completing the job in a timely and correct manner.  He always fulfilled his commitments to others.

  When Brian was not working, he somehow managed to squeeze in a variety of primarily outdoor oriented activities.  As children and teenagers, we camped, explored, fished, and hunted.  Our favorite camping and fishing location was Sage Hen reservoir.  We used to daydream every spring of fishing Sage Hen in the summer.  As little kids, we all had to have a pole in our hands while trolling and our father would then patiently spend hours untangling our lines.   Sage Hen was and remains the most beautiful,  peaceful place to recreate and we have all returned numerous times since our childhood.  I know Brian and Tyra continued to frequent Sage Hen for many years following their marriage.    

Brian was a great fisherman.  You will see in the video that we will play in a few minutes that he was successful in fresh water and in salt water.  However, he unfortunately never adjusted well to fishing in ocean swells.  I have witnessed more than once his knack for hooking very big fish, while simultaneously hanging his head over the side of the boat chumming the ocean. 

As kids, our parents along with a few of their friends owned jeeps that we used to travel the backcountry including the Owyhee Mountains, the Scott Mountain/Deadwood area and the Salmon River breaks.  We explored old mines, prospected for gold, fished, and simply enjoyed nature on these trips.  The jeeps were not enclosed, so as kids we rode in back mostly covered by dirt that we periodically washed away with a swim in a crossed creek or a hot spring.  Brian never lost his enthusiasm for mountain adventures.  As an adult he always owned a jeep or other four-wheel drive vehicle.  He used these vehicles to travel the Alaskan Highway, prospect with our father, fish, and hunt. After their marriage in 1989 Tyra was always at Brian’s side on these adventures.  The mountains were Brian’s personal refuge and the place of his greatest contentment.    

Our childhood and adult outdoor adventures often included a close friend who is with us today.   Greg Allen is the son of my Dad’s best friend, Jack and he has always been like another brother to us.  Greg and Brian spent many hours together as kids fishing, hunting, exploring the mountains and painfully learning the nuances of poker from Greg’s Dad, Jack Allen.  Probably the most precious and memorable 24 hours that I ever shared with my brother was a night the three of us spent together on a mountain top with an elk we had killed that evening.  It was so late after we had dressed out the elk and we were so far from our vehicle that we had no choice but to simply lay down in the dirt and wait for morning.  We were amped up with excitement over our success.  It was late September and although the day was warm, at approximately 7,500 feet, the night was cold.  Brian and I had our hunting clothes and a couple of little space blankets.  Greg had a slightly improved version of the space blanket in the form of a space mummy bag that he could crawl into.  The night was beautiful and multiple Bull Elk were bugling very near us in the darkness for most of the night.  We started a small fire, but we were too cold and too uncomfortable to really sleep so Brian and I talked most of the night away.  We burned many holes in the space blankets and in our clothes staying close to the fire.  Although uncomfortable, we were so happy to be together at this place sharing this adventure, listening to the elk bugling and absorbing the simple beauty of spending the night together in the wilderness.  With a herculean effort, we managed to pack the elk out the next day.  Over the years, Brian, Greg, and I have often reminisced about that special night.  The photo of Brian with Elk out front is from that day.  This is the way I will always remember my brother, healthy, happy, and totally emersed in the wilderness environment. 

In 1989, Brian married the love of his life, his soulmate, Tyra.  They have been inseparable since then.  They met while working together for Albertsons.  They both had spent many years working in the retail grocery business.  Tyra brought her children with her to this marriage.  Adrian, John, and Jackie quickly became Brian’s children, and they have all been close over the last 31 years.  They are all here today.  Brian was delighted with his family and particularly enjoyed his role as a grandfather.  Brian’s kids often affectionately refer to him as “Bri Robby”

Tyra has been the focus of Brian’s adoration since their marriage. Over the years, they have shared many happy moments.  They made several trips to Las Vegas where they enjoyed the entertainment and wagered a little money.  Brian was uniquely skilled and lucky at wagering in any form.  He often made money on these trips or other games of chance and that as you know is hard to do. 

Tyra and Brian enjoyed the ocean.  They made annual trips to Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast where they walked the beach, soaked in the ambiance of the ocean, and savored fresh seafood.  In 2004, they made a memorable trip to Hawaii where they immersed themselves in the beauty of the islands and caught many Mahi-mahi.

As has been mentioned several times, Brian was happiest when he was in the mountains camping, fishing, or hunting.  Each fall, he and Tyra camped with many good friends at McComas Meadows, Idaho where they pursued Whitetail Deer and Elk.   McComas Meadows was Brian’s most revered sanctuary in the backcountry.  I like to think of him sitting on the edge of the meadow, watching for animals, and waiting for Tyra and his friends to join him at their camp.   

Brian was the best.  He loved his wife and his family.  He adored all his children, grandchildren, cousins, nieces, and nephews.   He also adored his animal buddies, Izzy, and Moose.  He was an easy going,  happy, compassionate person throughout his life.   He had a great sense of humor.  This is a man that cared deeply for all the people he knew.  As I noted in his obituary, “This good and unselfish man served others well and contributed significantly to the betterment of this world during his lifetime. He has left us far too soon.”   We will all miss Brian immensely, but are comforted that he no longer suffers and now resides with his heavenly father.  Thank you,

(Comments prepared and read by Bradly S. Ford in loving memory of his brother, Brian during his June 19, 2021 memorial service)

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Brian Robb Ford, please visit our floral store.