Valerie Ford, science teacher, former associate campus minister, tutor, and mentor, has died at 54
Her curiosity about life, devotion to education, and love of children made her the near-perfect teacher, her family said.
Valerie Ford, 54, of Souderton, science teacher at Souderton Area High School, tutor, mentor, summer camp director, and former associate campus minister at Juniata College, died Thursday, Sept. 21, of brain cancer at her home.
Mrs. Ford began teaching biology, chemistry, and environmental science at Souderton in 2013 and retired only when her health failed two years ago. She worked in Advanced Placement classes that featured science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and was adept at cross-subject collaboration and classroom management.
She served as faculty adviser for the school’s Future Health Professionals Club and said in an online profile that she embraced “project-based instruction, real-world inquiry with problem solving, and using technology to enhance engagement.”
Her son, Jacob, said students, parents and colleagues were drawn to her because of her “immense curiosity and knack for understanding how to help underachieving students do better in school.” A former student said: “Mrs. Ford was my biology teacher, and she was the best.”
In a Facebook tribute, a friend said: “She was a wonderful soul, teacher, and colleague.” Another friend said: “She left a lasting impact not only as a biology teacher but also as someone who cared deeply about the well-being of others.”
Mrs. Ford began her teaching career in 2009 as a substitute at Souderton and Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, now Dock Mennonite Academy, in Montgomery County. She also directed and managed an after-school tutoring and enrichment program in Souderton in 2012 and 2013.
She served as an associate campus minister with the Coalition for Christian Outreach at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia and Juniata in Huntingdon, Pa., in the early 1990s, and developed programs and mentored students.
Later, she directed a voluntary religious instruction program for the Halifax Area School District near Harrisburg, and was director for nearly a decade of an expanding program for preschool children and their mothers at Camp Hebron, a Christian summer camp in Halifax.
“Val was a beautiful soul,” her family said in a tribute. “She was a gifted teacher. She influenced and was loved by many.”
Valerie Sue Schmoyer was born Jan. 4, 1969, in Allentown. Her mother was a teacher, and she told her family that she, too, wanted to be a teacher when she grew up.
She played clarinet as a girl and wrote as an 11-year-old that she was considering a career as a veterinarian’s assistant because “I like animals and like working with animals.” Indeed, she nurtured many pets over the years and most recently sat often with her dog, Eli.
She graduated from Salisbury High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and secondary education at Juniata in 1990, and a master’s degree in education from Wilkes University in 2017. She met Michael Ford at Juniata, and they married in 1991, and had son Jacob and daughters Bekah, Emma, and Nicole.
They lived in Halifax and Souderton, and she homeschooled her children for several years. “She encouraged our curiosity and drive to learn,” her son said.
Mrs. Ford liked to crochet and visit nature preserves with her family. She always wanted a Volkswagen Beetle, so her husband bought her a blue-and-white convertible a few years ago.
She was affable and poised, curious and confident in her convictions. She liked to explore and discover new places.
“Being a mom was her primary passion in life,” her family said in a tribute. Her daughter Bekah said: “Being my mother’s daughter was a privilege and a joy.”
“She was all of the most wonderful things you could think of,” said her daughter Emma. Her daughter Nicole said: “She was the most perfect mom for her children.”
In addition to her husband and children, Mrs. Ford is survived by her parents, a brother, and other relatives. She donated her body to scientific research.
A memorial service is to be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at Zion Mennonite Church, 149 E. Cherry Lane, Souderton, Pa. 18964.
Donations in her name may be made to the Coalition for Christian Outreach, 5912 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15206.