Jay Ford died Friday, March 27 of esophageal cancer, he was 67. He will be especially cherished and remembered for his love of knowledge, honesty, attention to detail and as a sailor and life-long learner.
His entire life he sought new adventures in the outdoors: hiking and mountaineering in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, cycling, sailing throughout the Puget Sound and British Columbia, skiing in the Cascades and Rockies, and scuba diving in Mexico. When he wasn’t outdoors, he travelled across Europe and in Mexico, studied Spanish at the University of Salamanca and University of Granada, and loved to sip the occasional gin martini while reading a good book. Through his life, he generously shared these wonderful passions and experiences with his friends and family.
He was Club Treasurer many moons ago, the early 90’s. He cruised extensively, circumnavigating Vancouver Island on three occasions, and nearly every year extended cruising in the San Juans, and up the inside passage as far as the north end of the island. He sailed to baja and up the sea of Cortez with a friend. Jay raced D Class with SSSS on an irregular basis.
He is survived by his wife Nancy Ford, children Ernest Jaramillo, Graham Ford, and Benjamin Ford, and grandchildren Dante, Diego and Marco Jaramillo. He is also survived by his boat, Turning Point and his Miata convertible.
Sea Fever
by John Masefield
I MUST go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea’s face, and a gray dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way, where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
In memory of Jay Ford
Sailor
Skier
Student
Hiker
Diver
Economist
Father
Husband
Friend
Graham Ford and Gary Ray