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Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18 at the Maryville Church of Christ, 611 Sherwood Dr., Maryville, TN with the funeral starting at 7 p.m. in the church.
Interment will be at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery at 2200 Gov. John Sevier Hwy., Knoxville, TN at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19. There will be a procession to the cemetery from Smith Funeral Home at 402 Tuckachee Pike, Maryville. The funeral directory advises that those interested in participating in the procession should be at the Funeral Home ready to line up their cars at least by 9 a.m.
If Forum folks in East Tennessee plan to attend the funeral, let me know via PM and I’ll be glad to try and coordinate. I have a schedule conflict and cannot attend the Monday funeral, but plan to participate in the procession and attend the graveside services on Tuesday morning. If anybody is interested in that, likewise, let me know via PM and I’ll be glad to try and coordinate.
Chuck Ford services at East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery
I've just returned from the burial services for Chuck Ford. The funeral was at the church Chuck attended Monday evening and I wasn't able to attend.
Tuesday morning, there was a procession from the funeral home to the East Tennessee Veterans Cemetery. Heavy rain slacked off to a mist by the time we got to the cemetery. I'd guess there were about a hundred vehicles in the procession -- most of them marked sheriff's office patrol vehicles. Major intersections were blocked on the 15-mile route with many of the LEOs blocking intersections and saluting the procession as it passed. I don't know how it's done where you live, but in the southern states I've lived in, opposing traffic pulls off on the side of the road when a funeral procession passes and we saw that for the entirety of the journey.
My Corvette was the only one in the procession.
There was a ceremony in a small building at the cemetery with standing room only. I'd guess maybe 50 deputies overflowed outside the standing room only room. There were maybe 75 people in the room for the service. Chuck's fiance, his mother and other relatives were in attendance.
There was a color guard (USAF and US Marines) and a rifle team outside and out of view to me. An AF chaplain spoke. The rifle team fired a salute, Taps was played, the flag on Chuck's casket was folded and presented to the fiance.
A chaplain from the Sheriff's Office spoke briefly. He noted that Chuck has left his body, the house of his soul while he was still with us, and is now at a house in heaven, where there likely is a Corvette in the garage.
Thereafter, pall bearers follwed the color guard out of the room with Chuck's family following behind them. They put the casket back in the hearse and it was escorted away by Sheriff's Office motor units. Chuck's family was spirited away, apparently for a private graveside ceremony. None of the deputies present accompanied the family to the gravesite.
Overall, it was an impressive send-off for our Corvette Brother.
I shot a few cell phone pictures and apologize for the poor quality.
Jim, glad to see you were able to attend and represent all of us - thank you!
Also, I sincerely appreciate the respect shown by his fellow Deputies and for the photos which makes me feel like I was a part of the ceremony to honor my very dear friend and LE Brother
I’ve been “away” for a while and didn’t know till today. So sorry to hear this. Texted a few times with a fellow Tennessee hillbilly. He was a really good guy and I’ll miss his posts.
Services for H P Bushrod/Chuck Ford [UPDATED with photos]
He was a really good guy and I’ll miss his posts. 