Harry Alan Ford of Red Deer, Alberta passed away in Red Deer on Friday, July 16, 2021 at the age of 77 years. Harry was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and grew up in Burnaby. He joined the RCMP in 1962 and attended RCMP Depot training in Ottawa. On Harry’s first posting after graduation in Peace River, Alberta, he met his wife, Bertha Kurylowich, and they were married on September 12, 1964. Subsequent postings around Alberta took him to Red Deer, Forestburg, Rocky Mountain House, Manning and Vulcan, where he was the Detachment Commander in both Manning and Vulcan. Posted to Ottawa as a Sergeant, he worked many interesting positions. In 1981, along with his brother Bob, he was an original member of the Hostage Assault and Rescue Program, which was Canada’s first Counter Terrorist Special Force, where they were trained by the British Special Air Service. He worked in RCMP Telecommunications, where he supported the Papal Task Force visit across Canada in 1984. In 1990 as a Staff Sergeant, he returned to the RCMP Special Emergency Response Team, Canada’s new counter-terrorist team. He subsequently was part of the initial selection, training, and handover team to the Canadian Forces, Joint Task Force 2, until SERT was stood down in March of 1993. Upon his retirement in 1995, he continued to live briefly in Ottawa, before settling in Red Deer, Alberta in 1997. In his retirement, he pretty much completely retired. He volunteered, along with Bertha, as a provincial steward at the Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve. The two of them managed the bluebird boxes and bluebird counts along Highway 11 at Kootenay Plains for over 20 years, and he supported his wife’s love of hiking, although it was not necessarily his passion! He will be remembered as a generous giant of a man with an even bigger heart. A caring and supportive husband, father, grandfather, brother, son, uncle, cousin and friend will be a large part of his legacy. He was at times a larger than life character, who lived his 77 years to the fullest extent. He will be fondly remembered and loved by his family and friends upon whom he never failed to leave an indelible impact. Harry will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Bertha Ford, his son, Bob Ford (Dale) of St. Albert and their children Robert and William, his daughter, Deborah Arden (Dave) of Red Deer and their children Levon and Isabelle, his brother Bob Ford (Mary) of Petawawa, Ontario, and his sister Darlene McKie of Calgary, Alberta. Harry was predeceased by his mother, Jacquelin Lyona Ford, and his father, John James Bernard Ford. A private family service will be held. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation in Harry’s honour may be made to the Red Deer Hospice Society at www.reddeerhospice.com, where the staff made his final days both memorable and comfortable, and where their compassion and heart extended to all of the family. Alternatively, a donation may be made to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation (Dialysis Unit) at www.rdrhfoundation.com where they took great care of him for over five years. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.parklandfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements in care of:

Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium (Red Deer),

6287 – 67 A Street (Taylor Drive), Red Deer. 403.340.4040.

ONLY LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED FUNERAL HOME/CREMATORIUM

IN THE CITY OF RED DEER.

• Date : 2021-08-13
• Location : www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com