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Bud Ford Is A Referee And Sports Booster Extraordinaire Photo and article By Jack McNeel Many people are recognized and honored for their play in the gymnasium or on the athletic field but Charles A. “Bud” Ford of Coeur d’Alene is one of the few recognized for officiating and at 84, his amazing career is not over yet! Three years ago, Bud was named Idaho’s Referee of the Year and last year was initiated into the Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame. Bud has refereed basketball games for 35 years and has now completed 63 years of refereeing high school, college, and semi-pro football! “I’m still one of the blind men out there,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t know if there’s anybody that can match that. I’m thinking of refereeing next year, but I think it will be my last – but I said that last year too. The good Lord gave me a pretty good body.” Bud attended Coeur d’Alene schools and graduated from Coeur d’Alene High School in the class of 1948. He was an athlete himself, lettering in four sports one year, but he says that doesn’t mean too much because the teams weren’t too strong at the time. “I played baseball and then participated in track during track meets (without practicing with the track team). It wasn’t a stellar career in track,” he adds. Bud has enjoyed a long career in business as well, starting out in television and appliances. “I sold that and bought an apartment house and mobile home park, and I’ve gone on from there,” he explains. Bud and his wife, June, have been married for 40 years, but his sorrow is evident when he relates that she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and lives in Creekside Care Center. “She is a brilliant woman, but now the only thing she remembers is the family, which is a Godsend. I visit her daily,” Bud declares. He laughs as he tells of a newspaper article about him. “No use yelling at Bud Ford. He’s out in the center of the field and he’s got his hearing aids turned off,” the article said. “I spent 28 years in the Army and Reserve and it ruined my hearing,” Bud notes. He got around a lot during that period: Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Fort Hood, Texas, plus his reserve time. “I retired as Lieutenant Colonel from the reserves and Assistant Commandant of the U.S. Army Reserve School. I was essentially in charge of everything from Grangeville north and also taught at Command and General Staff College at the University (Continued on page 28)