Obituary: Marcy Jo Mantler Ford

Marcy Jo Mantler Ford died June 25, 2021, at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital due to complications after surgery. She was born Aug. 10, 1951, in Atlanta to Marshall Mantler and Nancy Mantler Thal.

Marcy attended Stephens College in Missouri and graduated from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta with her bachelor of arts in English and double minor in psychology and French. Later, she received her master’s degree in education from the University of West Georgia.

Marcy met the love of her life Daniel Ford and they married in 1987. They had two children, Irish twins Morgan and Edward.

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She started her own catering business in Buckhead. For over a decade, her business flourished, and people fell in love with what she did. Once moving to Sharpsburg, Marcy touched even more lives by being an art and substitute teacher for 14 years and following her children from school to school.

After leaving the school system, she began her next adventure as a Publix Apron’s chef for 10 years.

Marcy was the epitome of what it means to live your life. She was a mother, wife, friend, chef, gardener, dancer, writer, educator and avid reader. You knew her presence by her witty sense of humor accompanied with her fun laugh, which was as big as the room. She referred to her home as a beacon of love.

Marcy once said in one of her many writings, “I teach so I can learn, I surround myself with positive upbeat people who have huge sense of humor. I pray and I believe. I eat healthy foods and exercise. I plant seeds and watch them grow. I listen and I watch, and I run away from those who try to capture my spirit. I enjoy each day to its fullest. I know it will never come again, and I must never take this time for granted. My legacy will be a marriage of love and respect, two well-mannered and well-adjusted children, and a home filled with love. Oscar Wilde once said, ‘Happiness is the greatest revenge’ and he is right.”

She is survived by husband Dan; children Morgan and Edward Ford; several sisters, brothers, in laws, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will take place in the near future. If you would like to make a donation in Marcy’s honor, please contribute to the Central Library of the Coweta Public Library System and remember to love one another each day.