Family and friends of Matthew J. Ford ’04 gathered in Loy Center on Wednesday afternoon to plant a tree in memory of the computing sciences major, who died a year ago to the day in a Burlington, N.C., industrial accident.
The 1 p.m. ceremony led by Associate Chaplain Phil Smith featured the planting, prayers, and short readings selected by his family, which included parents Greg and Terry, brother Mark and sister-in-law Malinda. Ford’s girlfriend, Mary Wharton, was also present.
“The planting of this tree is symbolic of the growth, strength, and longevity that should have been Matt’s life,” Smith said. “It is the hope of his family and loved ones that it will be here long after we are gone, an everlasting tribute to Matt.”
Ford, 26, died Oct. 7, 2008, at Southland Electrical Supply in Burlington when, according to the Times-News newspaper, a piece of heavy equipment he was operating overturned. Ford was the chief information officer for the company.
At Elon, Ford served on The Pendulum staff and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. In Ford’s memory, friends and family have established a scholarship at Elon awarded to a student majoring in computing sciences.
“Matt, you’re with us all the time,” his father, Greg, said at the tree planting as he spoke to the crowd of nearly two dozen alumni, Southland employees, current students and administrators. “I know I speak for most of us here when I say there isn’t an hour that goes by that I don’t think of you in some way.”
Alumni have created a memorial page on Facebook honoring Ford, and his family has started a blog at mattfordmemorial.blogspot.com.
