March 25, 1933 – February 14, 2019
Doyle Neely Ford was born March 25, 1933 in Port Royal, TN. He passed February 14, 2019 surrounded by the love of his family. Mr. Ford will be remembered as a loving, generous and hardworking man. He volunteered his time to the city of Manchester and Coffee County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Ford worked for Nascar for 38 years retiring as Chief Starter. In Nashville He owned Acne Fire Safety and Equipment.
He is survived by his son Neal Ford, stepsons Darryl Flippen and Troy Flippen; step daughter Dede Sledge; grandchildren J. Jayson (Amy) Ford, great grandchildren Judah, Anna, and Seraphina Ford; granddaughter Brittany (Dustin) Beck, great grandchildren Tatem and Talen Flener; granddaughter Brittnai Flippen great grandchildren Elijah and Avery Flippen, and grandson Ryan (Jennifer) Drummond.
Preceded in death by his loving wife of 30 years Barbara Ford, his parents Sidney and Madie Ford, sisters Obera McKinney and Josephine Austin and Brother Millard Ford
Funeral will be in Woodlawn’s Dignity Hall. Burial following at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Memorial Park
Nashville, TN
~~~~~~~~
Nascar flagger Doyle Ford, whose career with NASCAR spans 38 years, has flagged races since the 1960s at tracks in Pensacola, Fla., and throughout Alabama. Ford made his reputation, however, at his hometown track, the former Nashville Tennessee International Raceway, which staged its last Winston Cup race in 1984.
Finally, in May 1990 at Charlotte, N.C., Ford climbed into the tiny flagstand as the chief starter for the Winston Cup Series.
''The flag stand is the most visible job NASCAR's got,'' Ford said. ''You do become somewhat well-known. But I never thought I'd see the day when any NASCAR official would get shoe boxes full of mail, and I do.''
Among the letters are ones from several of the honorary starters who have waved the green flag. Ford keeps them in a scrapbook.
''They all generally have one thing they try to get across in that letter, and that is they never knew there was that much dirt and wind and grit involved on the stand,'' Ford said. ''Your face looks like you've been in a coal mine, and I wear goggles, so I look like a raccoon.
''I've been hit, been bruised and got the skin broken, but I've never been hurt seriously in all the years that I've been flagging.''
Ford has flagged many historic moments: Richard Petty's last race. The inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt's record-tying seventh Winston Cup championship. The first Winston Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway.
Ford retired after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1997.
Doyle Neely Ford was born March 25, 1933 in Port Royal, TN. He passed February 14, 2019 surrounded by the love of his family. Mr. Ford will be remembered as a loving, generous and hardworking man. He volunteered his time to the city of Manchester and Coffee County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Ford worked for Nascar for 38 years retiring as Chief Starter. In Nashville He owned Acne Fire Safety and Equipment.
He is survived by his son Neal Ford, stepsons Darryl Flippen and Troy Flippen; step daughter Dede Sledge; grandchildren J. Jayson (Amy) Ford, great grandchildren Judah, Anna, and Seraphina Ford; granddaughter Brittany (Dustin) Beck, great grandchildren Tatem and Talen Flener; granddaughter Brittnai Flippen great grandchildren Elijah and Avery Flippen, and grandson Ryan (Jennifer) Drummond.
Preceded in death by his loving wife of 30 years Barbara Ford, his parents Sidney and Madie Ford, sisters Obera McKinney and Josephine Austin and Brother Millard Ford
Funeral will be in Woodlawn’s Dignity Hall. Burial following at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Memorial Park
Nashville, TN
~~~~~~~~
Nascar flagger Doyle Ford, whose career with NASCAR spans 38 years, has flagged races since the 1960s at tracks in Pensacola, Fla., and throughout Alabama. Ford made his reputation, however, at his hometown track, the former Nashville Tennessee International Raceway, which staged its last Winston Cup race in 1984.
Finally, in May 1990 at Charlotte, N.C., Ford climbed into the tiny flagstand as the chief starter for the Winston Cup Series.
''The flag stand is the most visible job NASCAR's got,'' Ford said. ''You do become somewhat well-known. But I never thought I'd see the day when any NASCAR official would get shoe boxes full of mail, and I do.''
Among the letters are ones from several of the honorary starters who have waved the green flag. Ford keeps them in a scrapbook.
''They all generally have one thing they try to get across in that letter, and that is they never knew there was that much dirt and wind and grit involved on the stand,'' Ford said. ''Your face looks like you've been in a coal mine, and I wear goggles, so I look like a raccoon.
''I've been hit, been bruised and got the skin broken, but I've never been hurt seriously in all the years that I've been flagging.''
Ford has flagged many historic moments: Richard Petty's last race. The inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt's record-tying seventh Winston Cup championship. The first Winston Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway.
Ford retired after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1997.
March 25, 1933 – February 14, 2019
Doyle Neely Ford was born March 25, 1933 in Port Royal, TN. He passed February 14, 2019 surrounded by the love of his family. Mr. Ford will be remembered as a loving, generous and hardworking man. He volunteered his time to the city of Manchester and Coffee County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Ford worked for Nascar for 38 years retiring as Chief Starter. In Nashville He owned Acne Fire Safety and Equipment.
He is survived by his son Neal Ford, stepsons Darryl Flippen and Troy Flippen; step daughter Dede Sledge; grandchildren J. Jayson (Amy) Ford, great grandchildren Judah, Anna, and Seraphina Ford; granddaughter Brittany (Dustin) Beck, great grandchildren Tatem and Talen Flener; granddaughter Brittnai Flippen great grandchildren Elijah and Avery Flippen, and grandson Ryan (Jennifer) Drummond.
Preceded in death by his loving wife of 30 years Barbara Ford, his parents Sidney and Madie Ford, sisters Obera McKinney and Josephine Austin and Brother Millard Ford
Funeral will be in Woodlawn’s Dignity Hall. Burial following at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Memorial Park
Nashville, TN
~~~~~~~~
Nascar flagger Doyle Ford, whose career with NASCAR spans 38 years, has flagged races since the 1960s at tracks in Pensacola, Fla., and throughout Alabama. Ford made his reputation, however, at his hometown track, the former Nashville Tennessee International Raceway, which staged its last Winston Cup race in 1984.
Finally, in May 1990 at Charlotte, N.C., Ford climbed into the tiny flagstand as the chief starter for the Winston Cup Series.
''The flag stand is the most visible job NASCAR's got,'' Ford said. ''You do become somewhat well-known. But I never thought I'd see the day when any NASCAR official would get shoe boxes full of mail, and I do.''
Among the letters are ones from several of the honorary starters who have waved the green flag. Ford keeps them in a scrapbook.
''They all generally have one thing they try to get across in that letter, and that is they never knew there was that much dirt and wind and grit involved on the stand,'' Ford said. ''Your face looks like you've been in a coal mine, and I wear goggles, so I look like a raccoon.
''I've been hit, been bruised and got the skin broken, but I've never been hurt seriously in all the years that I've been flagging.''
Ford has flagged many historic moments: Richard Petty's last race. The inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt's record-tying seventh Winston Cup championship. The first Winston Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway.
Ford retired after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1997.
Doyle Neely Ford was born March 25, 1933 in Port Royal, TN. He passed February 14, 2019 surrounded by the love of his family. Mr. Ford will be remembered as a loving, generous and hardworking man. He volunteered his time to the city of Manchester and Coffee County Sheriff’s Department. Mr. Ford worked for Nascar for 38 years retiring as Chief Starter. In Nashville He owned Acne Fire Safety and Equipment.
He is survived by his son Neal Ford, stepsons Darryl Flippen and Troy Flippen; step daughter Dede Sledge; grandchildren J. Jayson (Amy) Ford, great grandchildren Judah, Anna, and Seraphina Ford; granddaughter Brittany (Dustin) Beck, great grandchildren Tatem and Talen Flener; granddaughter Brittnai Flippen great grandchildren Elijah and Avery Flippen, and grandson Ryan (Jennifer) Drummond.
Preceded in death by his loving wife of 30 years Barbara Ford, his parents Sidney and Madie Ford, sisters Obera McKinney and Josephine Austin and Brother Millard Ford
Funeral will be in Woodlawn’s Dignity Hall. Burial following at Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Memorial Park
Nashville, TN
~~~~~~~~
Nascar flagger Doyle Ford, whose career with NASCAR spans 38 years, has flagged races since the 1960s at tracks in Pensacola, Fla., and throughout Alabama. Ford made his reputation, however, at his hometown track, the former Nashville Tennessee International Raceway, which staged its last Winston Cup race in 1984.
Finally, in May 1990 at Charlotte, N.C., Ford climbed into the tiny flagstand as the chief starter for the Winston Cup Series.
''The flag stand is the most visible job NASCAR's got,'' Ford said. ''You do become somewhat well-known. But I never thought I'd see the day when any NASCAR official would get shoe boxes full of mail, and I do.''
Among the letters are ones from several of the honorary starters who have waved the green flag. Ford keeps them in a scrapbook.
''They all generally have one thing they try to get across in that letter, and that is they never knew there was that much dirt and wind and grit involved on the stand,'' Ford said. ''Your face looks like you've been in a coal mine, and I wear goggles, so I look like a raccoon.
''I've been hit, been bruised and got the skin broken, but I've never been hurt seriously in all the years that I've been flagging.''
Ford has flagged many historic moments: Richard Petty's last race. The inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt's record-tying seventh Winston Cup championship. The first Winston Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway.
Ford retired after the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1997.
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