Catherine Elyse Ford

born Wednesday, December 11th, 1991; passed away Monday, August 18th, 2025

Catherine Elyse Ford, 33, of Arlington, Texas, was tragically and unexpectedly lost to us this past Monday. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1991 to Virginia Ford and Calvin Jeffery Ham. From a very young age she preferred the name ‘Cat’, and we will forever remember her in our heart’s that way.

Cat’s sudden passing has come as a shock to her family, friends, and loved ones, who are still reeling at the loss. She lived a vibrant life full of love and laughter and still had so much left ahead of her. She was taken far too soon.

Cat loved her cats, her family, and her friends (in that order), with all of who she was, and there is no describing how her loss will impact so many. She adored all animals and helped so many in her time as a Veterinary Technician. She was always there for friends and family when and where she was needed, no matter how she was feeling that day, and was always ready with a witty retort to make you smile. She could make you laugh when you wanted to the least, and there was never a warmer hug to be had than in her arms.

Cat was incapable of looking at an animal, especially a cat, and not want to take it home and care for it. When she was 8, she owned a female cat that had a few crossed wires, and she adored that about her. When she was 16, she came into possession of another cat who was with her for many years. Jayden was not her pet, as far as Cat was concerned, Jayden was her small, furry daughter. At __ she adopted a sickly male cat named Jaxon, who became her small, furry son even before she had taken him home from the Vet hospital where he was being treated. She helped him grow to be a strong and healthy cat, and will forever remain his mom.

Cat was the type of woman many should aspire to be. Strong, independent, fierce, loyal, and intelligent, she never let anything or anyone – not even herself – get in the way when she was determined. She was the type of woman who could be relied upon when her friends and family needed help or just a hug. She was the type of woman who claimed full Goth-hood and then filled her playlist with showtunes and songs from musicals. She was the type of woman who shaved her head at 13 in a tiny, judgmental town to prove to herself and everyone around her that she didn’t need anyone’s approval. She was the type of woman who, at 15, was mistakenly called ‘Cat Food’ in a college course and instantly fell in love with the unintended nickname. She made time for everyone, even when that meant making less time for herself. She was a hero to her twin sister, despite being the younger of the two.

Cat was deeply loved, and she loved deeply in return. Her friends and family couldn’t be in the same room with her for five minutes before hearing her tell them she loved them. She loved to make her family smile – usually by sneaking up on them and either tickling them or giving them surprise hugs. She made sure the people who loved her knew the little important details about many of her favorite things, because she made them just as excited to learn those facts as she’d been. She had the unique ability to make a person love something they were certain they wouldn’t even like, because her enthusiasm was infectious. Yet, she also knew people and what they would like. She had a talent for recommending shows, films, and books that would break your heart and have you coming back for more, because she knew you’d love it through the tears.

There are no words to convey how immense her impact was on the lives around her, how much she will be missed, nor the depth of grief left in her absence.

She was a candle in the dark, a flame to guide those she loved through the shadowy and uncertain moments in their lives, bringing warmth in the cold and lighting the path she shared with each of us.

Cat is survived by five siblings: Rick Ford, Andrew Ford, Jessica Elliott, Katelyn Ford, and Dakota Ford-Eaton; and her parents: Virginia Ford-Eaton and Calvin Jeffery Ham; as well as her grandmother, Junette Ham. She is also survived by many others – aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends who became like family. She was preceded in death by Kristen Audas, her self-proclaimed adoptive mom, and the cat she loved like a daughter, Jayden Ann. She leaves behind a legacy of love that will continue on through all who knew her.

A Memorial and Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, August 29th at 2pm. The family welcomes all who knew and loved Cat to join in honoring her memory and celebrating her meaningful life.

In lieu of flowers, donations to help with services and final expenses are deeply appreciated as the family navigates through this painful loss. Above all, the family asks for compassion and understanding in this difficult and mournful period, just as Cat always offered to others.

The people who keep coping, keep trying, no matter how many blows Fate takes at them – nobody’ll make a song about them, but they’re heroes all the same. - Mercedes Lackey

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