He was raised in Grand Rapids with his three half-brothers from his mother's second marriage: Thomas Gardner 'Tom' Ford (1918–1995), Richard Addison 'Dick' Ford (1924–2015), and James Francis 'Jim' Ford (1927–2001). Ford also had three half-siblings from the second marriage of Leslie King Sr., his biological father: Marjorie King (1921–1993), Leslie Henry King (1923–1976), and Patricia Jane King (1925–1980). Ford and  Sweet played their hearts out. They were everywhere on defense.' Ford later recalled, 'During 25 years in the rough-and-tumble world of politics, I often thought of the experiences before, during, and after that game in 1934.