May 18, 2021
On May 11, 2021, my world was forever changed. Ford Stuen was my dear nephew, my teammate, my best friend. We continue to mourn his passing and continue to grieve.
At Ford’s Celebration of Life service, Ford’s amazing wife, Courtney, so adequately said that grief isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just love that has nowhere to go. Ford was so loved by so many. And he loved you right back.
One week later, that same love you showed Ford has filled the hearts and minds of our family.
Thank you for your support throughout these last two months. We have read every letter, every email, every text. It means more to our family than you will ever know.
To Ford’s family and friends: Thank you for shaping Ford into the man he was. And thank you for making Ford’s Celebration of Life service so special. I share the video from the service
here. Please watch it. I hope the words from his family and friends give you the comfort they gave each of us on that day.
To our team, to Team Blue: Thank you for being there for me and my family. I can’t make it through this without you. Ford loved and respected every single player, coach, and staff member who came through our program. We can all take lessons we learned from Ford to make ourselves better players, better student-athletes, better coaches, and better people. He will always live on within our program.
To the Saint Louis University community: Ford loved Saint Louis University. He loved being a Billiken. And he loved the city of St. Louis. Our athletics department is tight. When we succeed, we celebrate. When one of us is hurting, we rally around each other and lift each other up. From day one, we’ve had nothing but support and care from the department and the University, and we are so very thankful.
To the basketball community: I’ve received notes from all over the world from coaches and individuals who I didn't even know Ford had a relationship with. He loved the game of basketball. And he loved our coaching profession. Thank you all for your notes of encouragement to me, my family, and our team.
Many have asked how they can help. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ford Stuen Family Trust. You can contribute via PayPal by visiting
bit.ly/FordStuenFamilyTrust. This will directly support Courtney, Lucy, and baby Penn. Any and all contributions are very much appreciated.
Finally, I hope we can all honor Ford by living our daily lives exactly how he would. Never miss an opportunity to build a new relationship. Make time – time for your family, time for your friends, time for yourself. Enjoy life with the people you love. And every once in a while, order yourself an iced coffee from Starbucks.
I can't put it any other way – it is tough right now. I will miss Ford every day. But I am so thankful that we were able to share him with all of you.
We love you, Ford.
