Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Ford served in the United States Army during World War II. He graduated from University of Michigan and worked at the Ford Paint and Varnish Company in Grand Rapids. He served on the Kent County, Michigan Board of Commissioners from 1958 to 1964. He represented the 91st District in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1964 to 1972 as a Republican. He then worked for the Michigan State Legislature in legislative audit from 1972 to 1980. He died in Johns Island, South Carolina. He was a half-brother of President Gerald Ford.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}