Sewn in Memory: Scott Ford

Scott Ford was born January 15, 1957 in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received a B.S. in ornamental horticulture in 1984. His freshman year at the University, Scott met Greg, who became his lover and remained at his side during his illness and subsequent death. In August 1984, Scott and Greg moved to Oakland, where Greg attended Berkeley and Scott worked for the Oakland Park District (Scott had a knack for bringing ailing plants back to life). Scott was diagnosed with AIDS in May 1988, suffering from Kaposi's sarcoma and various other AIDS related illnesses. AZT treatment resulted in severe anemia and was discontinued. He entered a hospice program at The Center, in Oakland; several buddies, Greg, and other friends supported Scott hrough these trying and painful times. He requested that no heroic measures be taken to save his life.  In this video, Scott’s good friend, Paul Ochman, reminisces about Scott.

These videos commemorate men who died from AIDS in central Illinois in the 1980s and 1990s as told through stories from their friends and family.  They are produced by the University of Illinois Department of Journalism and Illinois Public Media as part of Sewn in Memory: AIDS Quilt Panels from Central Illinois, a community-curated exhibit created for the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures in 2021 in collaboration with the Greater Community AIDS Project of East Central Illinois (GCAP) and the Department of History at the University of Illinois.