Charlotte Ford Spillane

July 29, 1929 - January 28, 2021

Charlotte Ford Spillane (91) of Toms River passed away peacefully in her home on January 28, 2021. Born in Atlantic City, NJ, she graduated from Pleasantville high school. She then attended Murray State University in Kentucky where she met her husband, Bernard Francis Spillane. After earning their degrees, they moved to Massachusetts where they started careers in education. She went on to earn a master's degree from Rutgers University and continued her education at Georgian Court College and Marymount Manhattan. After a long career in education, she retired in 1994 as an Assistant Principal from the Toms River Regional Schools. In 1987 she founded the Toms River Schools’ Hall of Fame, honoring those who attended or graduated from Toms River schools and contributed to humanitarian causes in their field. Her experiences in education led to studies in juvenile justice and attending conferences around the world. She was a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges working to help troubled youth. This led to her becoming a certified amateur boxing judge and co-founder of B.A.D. (Boxers Against Drugs). She also started T.A.P.P. (Teen Age Parent Program) and served on the Monmouth/Ocean County Pregnancy Task Force. She was an active member and past President of the Soroptimist International of Toms River. Other community activities included the Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce. Charlotte had many interests that included books, breeding and raising thoroughbred horses, attending the theater, directing school plays and acting in community theaters. While she was able, she attended The Friends Meeting House in Little Egg Harbor. She was preceded in death by father Charles Edwin Buel Ford and mother Helen Evelyn Mackey Jones Ford of Pleasantville and brother Charles (Jean) Ford of Ventnor. She is survived by daughters Stephanie (Herbert) Spillane Fox, Bonnie (Charles) Langan and son Michael (Elizabeth) Spillane. She is also survived by three grandchildren. A private ceremony will be held at Ocean County Memorial Park in Toms River. Thoughts can be shared on her tribute page at https://www.silvertonmemorial.com.