Ford Motor Co's director emeritus, William Clay Ford, passed away on Monday at his home. Ford, 88, was suffering from pneumonia. He was the last surviving grandchild of the company's founder, Henry Ford.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Martha Firestone Ford; daughters Martha Ford Morse, Sheila Ford Hamp, and Elizabeth Ford Kontulis; son William Clay Ford, Jr.; 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
William Clay Ford served the company for 57 years, playing a pivotal role in shaping the company for more than half of its 110-year history, as an employee, a director and as the director emeritus. He helped steer Ford Motor Co into the modern era of automobiles.
Ford began his career with the company after graduating from Yale University. He was elected chairman of the Design Committee, post he held for 32 years, in 1957. In 1978, he was elected chairman of the executive committee and appointed as a member of the office of the chief executive. He served as vice-chairman of the board from 1980 and chairman of the finance committee from 1987. He retired from his post as vice-chairman in 1989 and as chairman of the finance committee in 1995. He was named director emeritus on May 12, 2005.
Throughout his career, he was instrumental in setting the company’s design direction, overseeing the development of a number of classic vehicles, including the Continental Mark II, considered by many to be one of the most iconic cars ever built.
He had numerous associations and roles outside of Ford Motor Company. He was made president of the Detroit Lions football team in 1961. He purchased the team in November 1963 and served as its chairman until his death. He also was a dedicated and generous philanthropist and community leader.