William "Ted" Fort
September 13, 1928 ~ February 5, 2016 (age 87) 87 Years OldShare using:
William (Ted) Edward Fort, aged 87, died Friday, February 5, 2016, at Ohio Health Shelby, in Shelby, Ohio.
Born September 13, 1928, in Plainfield, NJ, to Walter H. & Ethel M. (Hartman) Fort, he has been a Shelby-area resident since 1954. A graduate of Plainfield High School in 1946, Ted went on to graduate from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, class of 1950. He was drafted into the U.S. Navy but transitioned to Officer Candidate School in the U.S. Coast Guard, and was proud to be a "90-day wonder." He served in the western Pacific during the Korean Conflict. While with the U.S. Coast Guard he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
Ted came to Shelby in 1954 to work at Shelby Salesbook/Business Forms, retiring in 1994. He then started his own company, Retail Alternatives, printing price-marking tags and labels for all the major retailers. He was a long-time member of the Mansfield Power Squadron. He taught Sea Cadets and navigation. Ted was also a past member of the Shelby Lions Club and the Royal Scott Highlanders of Mansfield.
He was an animal lover, especially dogs, cats and birds. He also liked hunting, fishing, and geocaching where his name was "Ancient Mariner." An early adopter, Ted was fascinated with all things electronic -- a "Geek" before they were called that. He learned and used new iPhones received on his 80th and 87th birthdays. He loved sailing on his Chris Craft motor sailboat, "Liberty," which he docked at Port Clinton. Excited to see new places, Ted traveled the world. He and Phyllis re-traced the Lewis & Clark route from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, and back, in 2003. Ted loved to entertain, whether story telling or music. He was quick to pull out a harmonica for anyone who would listen. Truly a good man, he was honorable, principled, hard-working, friendly, reliable, and active. Always inquisitive, he instilled in his family a thirst for learning and the confidence to try. He cared for his family and many friends and had a zest for life.
Survivors include his wife, Phyllis Jean (Carter) Fort, whom he married May 29, 1999; his children, Jeffrey Edward Fort of Findlay, Melinda Jean (Ed) Bice of Cincinnati, Martha Jayne Fort of Butler, Molly Ann Fort of Pittsburgh, Megan Joy (Mike) Morelock of Satellite Beach, FL; and stepchildren Lynn C. (Joel) Nedrow of Toledo, Scott J. (Melissa) Carter of Butler, Thomas A. (Eileen) Carter of Cleveland and Ross A. Carter of Butler; 14 grandchildren, 8 step-grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and 4 step great grandchildren; sister, Mary Lou Hall of Lantana, Fl.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 47 years, Shirley (Christ) Fort; grandson, Evan Richard Steele; son-in-law, Mark F. Yarman; brother, Neil Fort and two brothers-in-law Randall Hall and Henry Christ.
Funeral service will be held at 4:00 PM Friday February 12, 2016, at the Barkdull Funeral Home & Crematory. Pastor Brad McBee will officiate and he will then be honored by the Richland County Joint Veterans Burial Detail. Friends may call at the funeral home on Friday from 1:00-4:00 PM. Burial will be held Saturday at Oakland Cemetery at 10:00 AM. Memorial expressions may be made to the Presbyterian Church in Shelby.
On line condolences may be made at www.barkdullfuneralhome.com