Ward was born in Milton, PA, where he spent the first 18 years of his life. Following high school, he decided to broaden his horizons and joined the Air Force for four years, serving two years in Japan in weather-related jobs. With much time to spare, Ward became a reader, a life-long passion, and was persuaded that he might want to consider going to college, the first in his family to do so. Back in Milton, he worked briefly in a factory and attended Bloomsburg College for two years. From there, with just $75 in his pocket, he moved to New York City to continue his education. Needing to support himself, he used his excellent typing and shorthand skills to land a job in a law office. The following year he enrolled in City College of New York where he was accepted into Phi Beta Kappa and earned his BA in English.
During this time he was married and had a son, Jason. The family moved to California where Ward earned an MA in English Literature at San Francisco State University. His career was spent in technical writing for financial institutions.
Ward and his first wife separated after several years, leaving Ward as a single dad to raise son Jason. In 1980, he met Karlette on a blind date (facilitated by Karlette’s brother Steve), and they were married in 1985. Two years later, they moved to England for three years where Karlette had received a transfer with IBM. During that time, Ward became the “house husband” and wrote travel articles for newspapers.
When Karlette retired from IBM in 2000, she and Ward began many happy years of traveling–camping in the US and visits to many countries around the world, often with two dear travel friends, comprising the “gang of four.” They toted up 62 countries and seven continents, which Ward captured in photographs that covered the walls of their College Terrace (Palo Alto) home.
At home, Ward was content sitting in his easy chair, reading many hours of the day—occasionally interrupted by a baseball or football game on TV–followed by Karlette’s home-cooked meals each night. In later years, he and Karlette continued to take road trips in the West. They enjoyed the performing arts, good food and wine, and many happy hours with friends.
Ward is survived by wife Karlette Warner, son Jason, daughter-in-law Anette, grandchildren Melissa and Samuel, sister Raphael Boyer, and niece Michelle Webb. He was preceded in death by parents Cyrus and Mary Hoffman, and brother Michael Hoffman.
In lieu of flowers, you might wish to consider a gift to one of two organizations that Ward loved and supported:
Reading is Fundamental (www.rif.org) or Bay Area Cancer Connections (www.bayareacancer.org)
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