Richard F. DeFord's Obituary
Richard F. DeFord, age 75 of Interlachen, Florida, passed away Thursday, December 14, 2017. Richard was born December 31, 1941 in Battle Creek, Michigan to Richard F. and Irma Adelia Randall DeFord.
Richard retired from Alachua County Fire and Rescue. He served from 1977 to 2004. Mr. DeFord was in the EMT/Firefighter Class of 1975 that brought the Fire/Rescue to Hawthorne, and he was instrumental in bringing 911 addresses to the Hawthorne area as a city councilman in the late 1970s.
Richard was preceded in death by his wife, Carol Kennedy DeFord. He is survived by his son, Rev. Richard E. DeFord and wife Amie of Sedalia, MO and their children, Richard (Caleb), Nathaniel and Sarah; daughter, Christina DeFord-Quiles and husband Vincent Quiles of Interlachen, FL and their children, Samantha and Blake Mendez, and sister, Dr. Diane DeFord of Columbia, SC.
Funeral Services will be held Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 11:00 a.m., in the chapel of WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME HAWTHORNE, 301 South at Lake Avenue, with honors from Alachua County Fire Rescue. The family will receive friends two hours prior to the service, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Burial will follow in Hawthorne Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Alachua County Fire and Rescue EMS Donation Fund, PO Box 5038, Gainesville FL 32627.
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