Robert L. Ford Dozier known to his friends and family as "Bear", was born June 22, 1949 in Talbotton, Talbot County, Georgia, to the late Sarah Frances Ford and Charlie Dozier. He was called home to rest on Wednesday, December 25, 2013.
He was a devoted husband, father, a grandfather, a friend, a leader, a teacher, a counselor, and a confidant to many. He cherished his family and his friends. His eight (8) children and his twenty-four (24) grandchildren were his life. He lived the last hours of his life celebrating the birth of Christ with all of his children and almost all of his grandchildren.
Robert joined Fellowship Baptist Church at an early age and maintained a personal relationship with Christ until his passing. He spent most of his life self-employed in the timber industry until he was physically unable to continue in the profession.
Robert was preceded in death by nine (9) sibilings. He endured the homegoing ceremony of seven (7) brothers and two (2) sisters. He also lost one great granchild, Alexi'una Gates.
He is survived by his loving wife and best friend of thelast forty-seven (47) years, Mary Kate Ford. The couple gave birth to eight (8) loving children, one (1) son and seven (7) daughters, all of whom are left to cherished in the legacy left by their father: Robert J. Ford of Sharpsburg, GA, Lizzie Kate Minniefield (Jamie), Barbara Ann Russell (Thaddious) both of Lagrange, GA, Sarah Frances Ford (Larry), Mary Ann Ford, Priscilla Ann Ford (Ahmad), Tonya Reeves (Bobby) and Sonya Harris (Christopher) all of Greenville, GA. He is also survived by two (2) brothers, Roy Lee Ford (Rochelle) and Warren Dozier (Rosa) and five sisters, Johnnie Prather, Christine Parks (Larry), Mary Hines (Rubin), Virginia Stargell all of Greenville, GA and Sonya Dozier of Talbotton, GA; four sisters-in-law, and two brothers-in-law: Estella dozier (Johnnie) and Catherine Dozier (Willie Henry) of Greenville, GA, Stanley Lockhart (Carolyn) of Butler, GA, and Joe Louis Lockhart (Sandra) of Atlanta, GA, Mary Ann (Jimmy Lockhart deceased) of Woodbury, GA; one uncle, Eddie Dozier of Talbotton, GA; and two very special people, "his special sister-in-law Georgia Shephard" and his "other son" Michael Coverson. He has a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins; a special friend Mel Atkins of Greenville, GA.