Requiem service Saturday, December 5th, 2015, 10:30 A.M., at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Morgan Hill. Contributions can be made to Saint John’s Episcopal Church or The Alzheimers Association.
John died peacefully in his sleep at his Morgan Hill home, on Wednesday, November 18, 2015.
He was the son of Harold and Donalda Ward, with sister, Wilma and brother, Paul. He attended Machado School, Live Oak HS, College of the Pacific and Stanford University. Most of John’s teaching career was spent teaching Middle School Art students in Menlo Park.
His adventurous spirit prompted him to teach in Maracaibo, Venezuela in the 1950’s for five years. His first year at the Escuella BellaVista was as a teacher; in subsequent years, he was the Head-of-School Principal.
During the Korean War, John served two years in the Army. Over the years, John used his summers wisely. He traveled extensively, studying Art in England, Spain, Italy, Greece and Mexico.
After a 35 year career as an educator, retirement yielded the long yearned for freedom to paint everyday. Nonetheless, an encore career opportunity at Stanford proved irresistible, and John thrived amongst a rich assortment of new friends.
Upon returning to his childhood home in Morgan Hill, he painted with irrepressible exuberance almost every day.
Many summers, he was able to rejoin an intimate circle of artist-friends to paint together in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
He served on the board of directors of the Saint Johns Preschool and the Morgan Hill Historical Society. John is survived by his long-time partner, Ken Challis, his brother, Paul Ward, nephews: Bob Ward, Ron Ward, Chuck Duquette, Don Duquette, Will Duquette, and niece: Diane Duquette McRice.
