Obituary of Claire Ford

Claire was born on January 19, 1922 in Clifton, NJ to Tina and Angelo Salvador.  As a teenager she was an accomplished pianist, competing all around the state.  She attended Drake Business School after graduating from Clifton High.

While married to Raymond Zanoni during WWII, she traveled the US with the other Air Corp wives following their husbands who were in training, often driving through snowstorms and strange roads from FL to Idaho and beyond.

Always active throughout her life, joining and participating in many clubs and activities such as being a girl scout leader for her daughter’s troop, gardening, sewing and other hand crafts, all the while working full time as a secretary/bookkeeper at various local banks and businesses, finally retiring from Glaxo Smith Kline.

Claire was married to Russell Ford in 1970 and they eventually relocated to Leisure Knoll in Manchester, NJ, where she again participated in all the community had to offer.  She loved to travel and did so with her many friends.  In 2017 she moved to Sunrise West Essex where she lived the remainder of her life.

She is survived by her daughter, Judy Pohl, her step-daughter, Kathleen (Steve) Fett and her step-son, Russell (Janice) Ford Jr., also granddaughter, Michelle Pohl, the love of her life, and step-grandchildren Lisa Nicastro, Michael (Sandi) Fett, Bonnie (Phil) Schwartz, Debbie (Tony) Wunej, Laura (Mark) Michalski, and Tammy (Bob) Heinrich, and also 23 great-grandchildren.  Claire loved children and for many years, Russ’s family provided a new baby to cuddle every holiday season!  She is also survived by her niece, Charlene (Jerry) Burton and nephew, Charles (Karen) Librizzi.

Claire was predeceased by her husband, Russell Ford, her parents, her sister, Dorothy Kolbe and her great-grandson, Jonathan Fett.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Clifton Animal Shelter in Claire's memory would be greatly appreciated by her family.