State Funeral

Byron Cavaney

Red Cavaney served as the Assistant to the President and Director of Scheduling and Advance for President Gerald R. Ford. He also served on the staff of Presidents Nixon and Reagan. After leaving government, Cavaney pursed a successful career in business and governmental affairs including becoming President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute and Senior Vice President at ConocoPhilips. He is a Trustee and the President of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

William Timmons

Bill Timmons was the Assistant for Legislative Affairs for both Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon. After leaving the White House he formed Timmons & Company, a lobbying and political consulting firm.

David Hume Kennerly

Prior to joining the Ford Administration, David Kennerly worked as the staff photographer for a number of newspapers and magazines, including Time magazine. In 1972 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography for the photo collection he took while covering the Vietnam War. Kennerly was appointed as Personal Photographer to the President the day President Ford was sworn in. He was only the third civilian ever to hold that position. He is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Richard Cheney

Dick Cheney served as Chief of Staff to President Gerald R. Ford. He was the youngest person in U.S. history to serve in that position. He served as the U.S. Congressman from the state of Wyoming from 1979 until 1989. President George H.W. Bush appointed him Secretary of Defense. Cheney served two terms as Vice President of the United States during the Presidency of George W. Bush. He is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Henry A. Kissinger

Henry Kissinger served as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State to President Gerald R. Ford. He also served in both positions for President Richard Nixon. In 1973, Dr. Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1977, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Ford. He is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Rumsfeld served with Gerald R. Ford in the U.S. House of Representatives, as a four-term Congressman from Illinois. In the Nixon Administration, he served in the Office of Economic Opportunity, Counselor to the President, and as the United States Permanent Representative to NATO. President Ford appointed him as his White House Chief of Staff and later as Secretary of Defense. He also served as Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush. He is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Frank & Pat Lynch

Mr. and Mrs. Lynch were friends of President and Mrs. Gerald Ford. Frank and Pat were interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on June 28, 2010 by Richard Norton Smith.

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States. President Bush was interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on July 26, 2010 by Richard Norton Smith.

Greg Willard

Greg Willard was White House Staff Assistant to President Gerald R. Ford and thereafter was President Ford’s personal aide in California. He later served as President and Mrs. Ford’s attorney and was President and Mrs. Ford and the Ford Family’s personal representative for President Ford’s State Funeral, responsible for overall planning and conduct of the State Funeral. He is Corporate Secretary and a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Guy Swan

Guy Swan is a West Point graduate and a retired Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army. He is a decorated war veteran of both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. General Swan served as the commanding general of the Military District of Washington/Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region from 2001-2007. General Swan was Mrs. Betty Ford’s official escort for the entirety of President Ford’s State Funeral. After the State Funeral, Mrs. Ford and the Ford Family maintained a close friendship with General Swan. He was later assigned to USNORTHCOM until his retirement from the Army in 2011.

Jim Greenbaum

Jim Greenbaum is vice chairman of the Betty Ford Center. Greenbaum was interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on December 5, 2008 by Richard Norton Smith.

Jim Cannon

Jim Cannon was an esteemed journalist and policy maker in Washington, D.C., advising many Presidents. He served as Domestic Policy Advisor to President Gerald R. Ford and was the author of “Time and Chance: Gerald Ford’s Appointment With History” and “Gerald R. Ford – An Honorable Life.”

Larry Buendorf

Larry Buendorf was a member of President Gerald R. Ford’s White House Secret Service detail. He was responsible for thwarting the attempted assassination of President Ford on September 5, 1975. In recognition of his bravery he was awarded U.S. Treasury Meritorious Service Award and the United States Secret Service Valor Award. He also served as Special Agent In Charge of President and Mrs. Ford’s post-presidency Secret Service Detail. After retiring from the Secret Service, Larry became Chief Security Officer of the United States Olympic Committee.

Leon Parma

Leon Parma was a close personal friend and advisor of President Gerald R. Ford and a frequent golfing companion of President Ford. The special friendship among President and Mrs. Ford and Leon and Barbara Parma spanned over forty years. He was an Honorary Pallbearer at President Ford’s State Funeral. Leon enjoyed a very successful career in a variety of businesses. He is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Mike Wagner

Mike Wagner is the Chief of State Funeral Planning at the Joint Force Headquarters, National Capital Region. Mike was the Military District of Washington’s primary family liaison for the State Funeral of President Gerald R. Ford, and was the senior MDW civilian representative to the Ford Family. He worked closely with President and Mrs. Ford in planning the State Funeral. He was also the senior MDW representative for planning of Mrs. Betty Ford’s Funeral Services.

Fred Meijer

Fred Meijer was native of Michigan and close friend of President Gerald R. Ford. Meijer was Chairman of the Meijer supermarket chain. Meijer was an Honorary Pallbearer at President Ford’s funeral services in Grand Rapids.

Rich DeVos

Rich DeVos was a long-time close friend of President Gerald R. Ford and served as an Honorary Pallbearer at his State Funeral. DeVos is the co-founder of Amway and also the owner of the National Basketball Association franchise the Orlando Magic. He is an Honorary Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Richard Wennekamp

Richard Wennekamp was a Special Assistant to President Gerald R. Ford, as well as Executive Director of the Ford Transition Office. Wennekamp held a number of senior executive positions at Community Bank and Bank of America. He serves on the board of CytRx Corporation.

Steve Ford

Steve Ford is the youngest son of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford. Currently, he serves as a Trustee and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Susan Ford Bales

Susan Ford Bales is the youngest child of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford. She is the Ship’s Sponsor of the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). Susan serves as a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, the President Gerald R. Ford Historical Legacy Trust, and the Elizabeth B. Ford Charitable Trust.

Terry O’Donnell

Terry O’Donnell served as White House personal aide to President Gerald R. Ford. He also served in the Nixon White House. After leaving the administration, O’Donnell practiced law at Williams & Connolly and served as General Counsel to the U.S. Department of Defense. He is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Todd Matanich

Todd Matanich served as a Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service assigned to President Gerald R. Ford in California. Matanich was interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on December 1, 2008 by Richard Norton Smith.

Tyne Berlanga

Tyne Berlanga is the daughter of Susan Ford Bales and granddaughter of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford. Berlanga was interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on June 24, 2010 by Richard Norton Smith.

Vaden Bales

Vaden Bales is the son-in-law of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford and the husband of Susan Ford Bales. Vaden is an attorney with the Riggs Abney firm in Tulsa, OK. He is a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.

Wayne Hoffman

Wayne Hoffman was a friend of President Gerald R. Ford. Hoffman was the retired chairman of Tiger International, the Los Angeles-based parent company of the Flying Tiger Line. Wayne Hoffman was interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on December 4, 2008 by Richard Norton Smith.

William Seale

William Seale is a historian and the author of a number of books, including “The Presidents House: A History”. William Seale was interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on March 21, 2011 by Richard Norton Smith.

Don Wilson

Don Wilson worked as the Deputy Director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, as the first Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, and as Executive Director of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Foundation.

Ann Cullen

Anne Cullen served as the personal assistant and spokeswoman for Betty Ford in California. Cullen was interviewed for the Gerald R. Ford Oral History Project on August 17, 2009 by Richard Norton Smith.

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