CORA MARILYN “PETE” LEWIS FORD

1928-2018

Cora Marilyn “Pete” Lewis Ford died on Sunday, the 27th of May 2018, in Houston. She was born on the 7th of April 1928, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to Gertrude and William Littleberry Lewis seven and nine years after her older brother and sister, Billy and Theodosia (Dosia). Although Pete lost her father when she was just 13, until her death, she fondly referred to him as “such a sweet Daddy.”

Pete lived in the small town of Hattiesburg until graduating from high school in 1945. She then moved 200 miles north to Columbus, Mississippi and attended Mississippi State College for Women, where she graduated with a B.S. in Art in 1949. MSCW was chartered in 1884 as Mississippi University for Women, and was the first public university in America exclusively for women.

Immediately after graduating, she moved to Houston, initially living with a greataunt. Then briefly, she and two friends lived in the Gulf Oil Boarding House, before finally settling in a duplex with a group of five small town girls from the South, ready to blaze their own trails in the larger, bustling city of Houston.

Pete enjoyed several jobs as a single woman while learning about Houston and meeting new friends. She first worked in the public relations office of Foley’s Department Store. Later she was part of the charter staff of Channel 8, KUHT, the first station in the U.S. to broadcast under an educational, non-profit license, and one of the earliest member stations of National Educational Television, which later merged into PBS. The station was required to produce a women’s program, which Pete was hired to help establish by recruiting guests and conducting interviews.

Pete and her beloved husband of 62 years, Tom, were introduced on a blind date by one of his classmates from Rice University. Tom was the youngest of four brothers, so their commonalities as the youngest children in their families made for a good match. Pete was brought up as a Baptist, and Tom as a Methodist, so after some faith searching, they decided to begin their marriage by joining the Episcopal Church, and were married at the Church of St. John the Divine in Houston on the 29th of August 1953.

They were a productive team their first several years of marriage, with Pete working while Tom earned his Masters and PhD in Austin. Soon after the births of their two children, Thomas Wellborn Ford, Jr. and Emily Lewis Ford Cooksey, the family then moved to Columbia, South Carolina until 1966 when they returned to Houston.

Pete dedicated her time to raising her two children and a full volunteer schedule. While living in South Carolina, Pete had been active in the women’s guild at the Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbia, serving as a chair at the annual Christmas bizarre, teaching Sunday school classes, as well as playing the piano for the children’s hymns. She was also active in the University of South Carolina faculty wives programs, including serving as its President.

After returning to Houston, Pete and Tom selected St. Martin’s Episcopal Church of Houston as their church of choice, where they remained members for over 50 years. Pete soon immersed herself in activities at St. Martin’s, including coordinating lent breakfasts and bible study participation. She also slipped right back into university life by being a leader of the University of Houston faculty wives organization. Whether Pete was serving as a Blue Bird or Camp Fire Girl troop leader for Emily or a room mother for one of her children’s classrooms, she was an involved mother who contributed hundreds of hours of love and support to the community and her family.

In the mid-1970s, Pete started what would be a successful, 25 year career selling residential real estate, beginning with Scott Ernest and Co., then John Daugherty Realtors, and finishing this career with Zarr and Co. Realtors. She enjoyed the real estate business immensely, found it intellectually stimulating, and frequently spoke of the joy she found working with “the young people.”

Pete and Tom had many close friends, including lifelong friends from her childhood in Hattiesburg, and his in Houston, as well as Tom’s University friends and Pete’s real estate friends. They both enjoyed playing bridge, socializing at the Houston Country Club, and their memberships with several dance clubs, including the 100 Club and Terpsichore Dance Club. Pete and Tom had great musical rhythm, both played the piano, loved listening to music from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, and found great joy on the dance floor.

Pete deeply loved her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed visits to Houston from her five grandchildren, and trips with Tommy’s and Emily’s families to Alaska, Williamsburg, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Galveston, and Kiaiwah, South Carolina. She and Tom took advantage after retirement to travel in Europe and they also enjoyed driving trips through Texas and up the southern east coast.

While the ills of Alzheimer’s affected Cora’s life in her later years (Cora is the name she preferred to be called during this stage), she was blessed to have the wonderful staffs at The Amazing Place and the Bridge to Rediscovery at The Forum. The care, activities, love, and respect provided by the many incredible staff at these two well run second homes provided an excellent quality of life “Miss Cora” could not have experienced elsewhere. The family is extremely grateful for the many caretakers who entertained her, cared for her and loved her these last few years of her life.

Pete (Cora) is predeceased by her loving husband, Thomas Wellborn Ford; her mother and father; older brother and sister; as well as Tom’s three brothers; a nephew; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law.

She is survived by her son, Thomas Wellborn Ford, Jr., daughter in law, Ellen Hendrix Ford, both of Houston; and her granddaughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Ellen Ford of Austin.

Also surviving Pete is her daughter, Emily Lewis Ford Cooksey, and her son in law, Paul Hooff Cooksey, both of Alexandria, Virginia; and her grandson, Paul “Hooff ” Cooksey, Jr. of Washington, D.C.; granddaughters, Amelia Lewis Cooksey of Houston, Isabelle Ford Cooksey of Tororo, Uganda, and Sophia Caroline Cooksey of New York, New York.

In addition to her nephew, Dr. Phillip Thomas “Tommy” Newton of Look Out Mountain, Georgia, son of her sister, Dosia, Pete is survived by her nephew and nieces, Dr. Ken Ford and Jaunea, Janie Ford Slack and husband James, Sally Ford Kelley and her husband Terry, and Blake Ford. There are too many great, and great-great nieces and nephews to name, but they were loved and important to Aunt Pete as well.

A memorial service for Pete will be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 18th of June, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family in the adjacent Bagby Parish Hall.

In lieu of flowers, those desiring may direct memorial contributions in honor of Cora “Pete” Ford, to The Amazing Place, 3735 Drexel, Houston, TX, 77027; or to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston, TX, 77056.