Well-known environmental activist Jim Ford passed away at the age of 64, on Aug. 25, 2009, while vacationing in North Carolina. Jim was born on July 13, 1945 in Tulsa, Okla., grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C., and graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School. In 1965 he received a degree in Business from the University of Florida, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. After a successful career, Jim retired early and traveled widely throughout the world to 115 countries on six continents, which gave him an extensive knowledge of world culture. Jim resided in Sarasota, Fla. for 25 years, lived briefly in Gainesville, Fla., and in 2006 moved to Cedar Key, Fla., where he had many good friends.

Jim's Native American heritage influenced his proactive concern for the environment. As former president of Growth-restraint and Environmental Organization, Jim was well known in Sarasota County and throughout Florida for his stance on ensuring a balance of land preservation and development through careful growth planning.

A quote illustrates Jim's life: "The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character." - Margaret Chase Smith.

Jim will be missed by family and friends as a pragmatic person who embodied insight, intelligence, humor, and vitality.