Obituary of John H. Ward

John Hayden Ward passed away Monday, January 21st at the Baptist Health and Rehabilitation Center in Scotia, NY. He was born January 12, 1924 in New York City, the son of Hayden Wightman Ward and Marion Joyce Rowe. He attended Williams College briefly, and was a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. He served in World War II as a member of the 372nd U.S. Army Engineering Corps, and was stationed in Luxembourg, Wales and England. After returning from military service, he worked for the Lummis Co., and also the F.L. Smith Co., both of New York. He moved to the Capital District in 1954 and worked for the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory until his retirement in 1984. For more than a decade afterward, he enjoyed his time as a volunteer at the Schenectady County Library Main Branch. For many years, he was involved with Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church as lay leader, Sunday School teacher and conference representative. Throughout his life, he was a great lover of classical music, and attended countless concerts in Schenectady, Saratoga and at Tanglewood, where, as a sixteen year old in 1940, he attended one of the first concerts ever held there, benefitting British War Relief. He is pre-deceased by his wife of 55 years, Aline Macomber [Weymouth] Ward, who passed away on January 18, 2007, and is survived by his sons, Robert Nelson Ward, of Oakland, CA; Richard Campbell Ward of Glenville, NY along with his wife Adelle Horst Ward; John Russell Ward of San Francisco, CA, and by five grandchildren, Joseph Richard; John Nevin; Robert Horst; Maylot Adelle and Cynthia Aline, and one great-grandchild, Harmony Noelle. He is also survived by a brother, Hayden Wightman Ward, Jr., of Morgantown, WV. Visiting hours will be on Thursday from 5 PM to 7 PM at the Jones Funeral Home, 1503 Union St.,(at McClellan St.) in Schenectady. There will be a funeral service at Eastern Parkway United Methodist Church, 943 Palmer Ave., Schenectady on Friday morning at 10 AM. The family gratefully acknowledges the wonderful care provided by the nurses, aides and staff of the Baptist Health and Rehabilitation Center in Scotia. Donations may be made in his memory to the Schenectady County Public Library. For directions and online condolencens, please visit www.jonesfh.net