Susan Britton Allison Ford died Sunday, February 6, 2022, at her home in Celina, Texas, after a long battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP.) She was 72 years old.
Susan Kathryn Britton was born on November 10, 1949, in Lubbock to Harold and Louanne Britton of Earth, Texas. She grew up playing basketball at Springlake-Earth High School followed by four years at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas. She was a three-time All- American shooting forward for the Wayland Baptist University Flying Queens where she helped lead the team to four National Women’s Invitational Tournament Championships. She and one of her teammates, Cherri Rapp, both went on to play on the United States Women’s Team that toured Mexico, Panama, and Columbia their senior year. They were also members of the 1971 Pan American Team.
After graduating from Wayland Baptist in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in Physical Education, she married Jim Allison and taught 4th grade for two years at Highland Elementary in Plainview. She and Jim were married for twenty-five years and had three children, Stephanie, Rebecca, and John. After all three kids were in school, Susan went back to teaching. She taught physical education and math and she coached girls’ cross country, basketball, and track during the rest of her teaching career at Smyer, Whiteface, and Prosper before retiring in 2009.
Susan married Trevor Ford in 2006, and they moved to Celina, TX. After Susan retired, she greatly enjoyed traveling with Trevor including multiple trips to Branson with friends, cruises, and business trips around the U. S. She treasured any time she was able to spend with her kids and grandkids, especially watching Becca’s kids at sporting events and Steph’s kids in theater productions. Over her life some of her favorite things were being a faithful prayer warrior for friends and family, gardening, and enjoying chocolate.
Susan was a kind soul with a servant’s heart and sweet, loving spirit she inherently showed to every person with whom she came into contact. She was the most amazing Mom and Nana to her children and grandchildren. Susan was full of faith, courage, and tenacity until the very end of her battle with PSP. Over the past seven years, she gracefully and fiercely fought the degenerative neuromuscular disease that stole her balance, walking, vision, swallowing, and speech. She is continuing that fight by donating her body for research to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Susan was preceded in death by her parents Harold and Louanne Britton. She is survived by her husband Trevor Ford of Celina; her siblings Beverly Beach of Richardson, Janet Keeth and brother-in-law Tony of Smyer, and Brian Britton and sister-in-law Anny of Levelland; her daughter and son-in-law Stephanie and Aaron Diaz of Brownwood, her daughter and son-in-law Rebecca and Keith Rotan of Knoxville, TN, son and daughter-in-law John and Julie Allison of Wilmington, NC; Trevor’s children Meg and Coulter Cook and their son Jackson of Bastrop; Taylor and Lexi Ford and their son Everette of Tacoma, WA; and Brian Ford of Pflugerville. She also leaves behind grandchildren Allison and Abbygail Diaz and Jake, Elin, and Paige Rotan along with multiple nephews, nieces, cousins, great nephews/nieces, and so, so many wonderful friends.
The memorial service for Susan will be on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at 2:00 PM at Genesis Church located at 5780 Virginia Parkway in McKinney, Texas, 75071.
We are asking for any gift honoring Susan be given to the Hutcherson Flying Queens Foundation – Museum Project.
The two ways to give are:
- Mail a check to:
Hutcherson Flying Queens Foundation
Kathy Harston HFQF Treasurer
8127 Mesa Dr. Ste. B206 PMB 276
Austin, TX 78759
** On the memo line of your check, please write: “In memory of Susan Ford” **
- On-line donations can be made to the Hutcherson Flying Queens Foundation website:
In the Special Instructions area below the amount of donation, please write: “In memory of Susan Ford” **