Billy Foard, Valley View Farms Co-Founder And Owner, Has Died

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz with Foard at our Kids Campaign event last month. Credit: Baltimore County Government/Twitter

Billy Foard, the founder and owner of Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, died Wednesday afternoon.

Foard and his brother John (known as "Punkey") opened Valley View in 1962 as a produce stand, two years after the former graduated Cornell with a degree in Agriculture. It grew and grew, not unlike its giant Halloween pumpkins, to become a top Baltimore garden store.

"We've just done a lot of right things," Billy told WBAL in 2012 as he marked 50 years in business. "We were lucky enough to pull it off."

As of 2012, he worked at the store nearly every day. The store's Christmas shop became a holiday tradition and its employee rolls were a rite of passage for local high school students.

"It's been great, but one thing those high school kids had to do was get here on time," Billy said. "We did not tolerate anyone being late."

In 2015, he turned management over to son Andy, who already had nearly 40 years at the store under his belt, according to a report in trade publication Garden Center. Brother John passed away in 2010.

Foard was a longtime partner of the WBAL Kids Campaign. WBAL NewsRadio 1090 hosts its annual fundraiser on two mornings just before Christmas at his garden shop.

”Billy was a great partner that really understood the importance of outreach in the community and taking a moment to help those in need," said WBAL news director Malarie Pinkard. "He invites us every year and together as partners we accomplish our mission of helping needy families.”

Besides his son, Foard is survived by his wife, the former Katharine "Kay" Andrew, daughter Elisabeth, son Stuart, four grandchildren and sister Suzanne Foard. The family will receive friends at Ruck Towson Funeral Home (1050 York Rd.) on Friday, Feb. 3 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in his memory to the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Maryland.