Deene Ann Ford

Deene Ann Ford, age 80, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at Capetown Senior Living, following a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Born on March 10, 1946, in Sikeston, Missouri, Deene was the cherished daughter of the late Lyman and Jewell Whitten. A woman defined by creativity, compassion, and an enduring love for children, she dedicated much of her life to caretaking. Before making her own family, she served as an early childcare director, and over the years, she cared for many families’ children as a loving, nurturing caretaker.

Deene was a deeply spiritual person, a passionate artist, and an insatiable reader whose mind was always exploring philosophy and life's greater questions. She was endlessly fascinated by Jungian analysis, painting, and gardening. Her lifelong spiritual journey included the study of Christianity and Catholicism, leading to her confirmation into the Catholic Church in 2015 in Malden, Massachusetts.

From 2016 to 2021, Deene cherished living by the ocean in Swampscott, Massachusetts—a time that brought great beauty, peace, and spiritual reflection to her life.

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Lyman and Jewell Whitten; her brother, John Whitten; and her former husband, Michael Steven Ford of St. Louis.

Deene is survived by her daughter, Sara Jane Ford of St. Louis, MO; her son, Michael Whitten Ford and his wife, Jennifer, of St. Louis, MO; her siblings, Danny Joe (Pete) Whitten, Rosetta Whitten, Cherie Whitten, and Rita Jakes; and her seven cherished grandchildren: Anastasia Vega, Carter Ford, Brady Ford, Whitten Ford, Paisley Ford, Macy Ford, and Bennett Ford.

A Celebration of Life will take place on her birthday, March 10, 2027.