William Kent Ford, Jr
William Kent Ford, Jr. of Millboro Springs, Virginia died peacefully at home of heart failure on Sunday, June 18th. Kent was born in Clifton Forge, Virginia on April 8, 1931. He was 92 years old.
He graduated from Washington and Lee University and earned his Master’s degree and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Virginia. He spent his entire professional career at the Carnegie Institution of Washington Department of Terrestrial Magnetism.
Growing up he was an outdoorsman, spending time with his father in the forests and waters of what are now the George Washington National Forest and Douthat State Park. He was a ham radio operator, tinkering with wires, glass tubes, and metal. His technical skills led to his hiring by the Carnegie Institution, where he designed and installed electronic image tube spectrographs on telescopes around the world. One of the instruments he built is on display in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, where it is identified as one of “The 101 Items That Made America”.
Kent Ford is best known for work with his astronomer colleague Vera C. Rubin at the Carnegie Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. Their measurement of galactic rotation curves provided evidence for the existence of dark matter.
In Retirement, Dr. Ford led water quality monitoring programs for the Cowpasture River Preservation Association. He is survived by his wife Ellen Ford, of Millboro Springs, children Kent Ford III, Russell Ford, and Jeannette Ford, and grandchildren Sterling Ford, Kent Ford, Emma Robiner, and Josh Martenis.
A funeral service was held in Crown Hill Cemetery in Clifton Forge on Jun 23rd, with Pastor Con Sauls officiating. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Cowpasture River Preservation Associating, POB 215, Millboro VA 24460; or to Garth Newell Music Center, POB 240, Warm Springs, VA 24484.
Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge handled arrangements for the family.
To send condolences to the family online, please visit www.nicelyfuneralhome.com
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