JACKSONVILLE  -  Elizabeth A. Ragan Ford, 87, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, surrounded by close family.  A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in August. Details to be announced.

She was a devoted wife, who loved deeply, and cared greatly. Her husband, Ernie, cherished her as his God-given anchor and best friend. She stood as his rock and walked beside him in every storm.

Gram, as many called her, was feisty, passionate, resilient, and very outspoken. She wanted to be known as a woman who was brutally honest when speaking her mind. Her friends described her as spirited, giving and caring. Gram graduated from barber school in her early years, was a manager at 7-11, then chose to stay home and raise her granddaughters. She enjoyed shopping and finding a good deal, especially at thrift stores and yard sales. When she wasn’t cooking or baking in the kitchen you could find her at church, meeting up with friends or spending time with family.

Mrs. Ford was preceded in death by her parents, George Ragan and Myrtle Lee Pitts; her sisters, Emma Huff, Wanda Thomason, Glenna Sue Mize, Mary Nell Wilkerson and Julia Ann Recht; and two brothers, Charles Ragan and Jesse Ragan.

Survivors include her husband of 51 years, Ernest E. Ford; her granddaughters that they raised, Jaime Busciglio of Jacksonville, NC and Rhonda Anderson of Glen Burnie, MD; her great-grandchildren, Kendyl Busciglio and Ryanne Busciglio of Jacksonville, NC, Kayla Anderson, Brianna Anderson, and Chase Scanlan of Glen Burnie, MD; as well as four other grandchildren; and eleven other great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by her daughter, Sandra Harlow-Strouse; her sister, Sharon Guerrero; and many nieces and nephews, along with many great-nieces and great-nephews.