Mary Teresa Ford

Portland - Mary T. Ford, 86, passed away on Friday, July 26, 2019 at The Cedars with her family by her side. Born in Manhattan on June 8, 1932, Mary had the distinction of being the 20,000 child born at The Woman's Hospital-the first hospital created by women exclusively for the care of women. She was the daughter of Irish immigrants, Paddy and Kitty Martin. She was raised in Brooklyn and never lost her hometown roots and sarcastic and witty Brooklyn attitude. She graduated from Bay Ridge High School in 1950 and stayed in New York where she was a bookkeeper for a Manhattan tailor. In 1956, she married Leslie J. Ford and moved to Long Island to begin their small family. Throughout the years, Mary was a homemaker in East Rockaway and for many years summered in Mountaindale Park, New York creating a network of family and friends she would never forget and always cherish. In 1979, her family moved to Scarborough and although she has been in Maine for over 40 years, Mary was still Brooklyn through and through. She fondly remembered visiting Coney Island as a kid, loving Johnny Mathis and reading for hours, all while maintained a great sense of humor even through her last days. Mary is survived by her daughter, Lesley Ford and her partner, James Banfield of Cumberland. She's also survived by her sisters, Patsy and Kathleen, and several nieces and nephews on both the Martin and Ford sides. A private committal ceremony will take place at Brooklawn Memorial Park in Portland. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home of Portland. To view Mary's memorial page or to share an online condolence, please visit www.ConroyTullyWalker.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Cedars, 630 Ocean Avenue, Portland, Maine 04103