Dorothy "Dottie" Ford

Chatham, MI / Niceville, FL

 Dorothy “Dottie” Ford, age 74, of Niceville, Florida, died Friday, October 4, 2024 at her son’s home in Chatham, Michigan under the loving care of family and North Woods Home Hospice following a courageous seven year battle with breast cancer. She was born on October 18, 1949 in Miami, Florida to the late Edwin and Sarah (Henderson) Peterson. Dottie grew up in the Everglades and worked on her families aquaponic aqua farm, raising water plants and fish. She graduated from Greater Miami Academy and then went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in education from Southern Adventist University. Following being an elementary school teacher, Dottie earned an associate’s degree in nursing from Palm Beach Community College and then her bachelor's of science in nursing From the University of South Carolina. She worked as an RN for a number of different places serving as a pediatrics nurse, home health, and private care nurse. Dottie was a member of the New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church in Defuniak Springs, Florida. Through her years with SDA she volunteered countless hours with food services, mission trips to Ecuador and Mexico, and as a counselor with Pathfinders youth ministries. Dottie loved the outdoors and enjoyed hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, canoeing, and flying with her private pilot’s license. She also enjoyed traveling all over the world with her mission trips, adventures in Europe, and around the U.S.

 Dottie is survived by her sons – Nathan (Morgan) Ford of Chatham and Dustin Ford of Niceville, FL; sister – Barbara (David) Glover of Berlington, NC; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents – Edwin and Sarah; and sibling – Peter Peterson and Becky Billings.

 Services will be held at a later date.