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Deacon William Ward was devoted to ministry
By Denver Catholic Register
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Deacon William Ward |
Deacon William Henry Ward, 72, died Jan. 15 after a battle with cancer. He had been a deacon for 30 years.
He was born in Seattle, Wash., to John and Mary Ward on April 20, 1939. He attended St. Joseph Catholic School and then went on to St. Edward Seminary and Seattle Preparatory high schools, graduating in May 1957. The following year, he joined the U.S. Army and went to the Army Language School in Monterey, Calif., where he learned Mandarin Chinese.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in administration and supervision.
In October 1962 he married Marie del Pilar Milazzo at the Fort Ord Army Post on Monterey Bay.
That same year he left the Army and began working as an electronic technician. In 1977, the Ward family was transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he worked as a logistics manager specialist. While in Salt Lake City, he entered diaconate formation. He was ordained a deacon in June 1981 by Bishop William Weigand and ministered as a deacon in the Diocese of Salt Lake City for five years.
The Ward family transferred to Virginia in 1988 where Deacon Ward began working in the prison system. He served as prison chaplain managing the Catholic religious education program for 1,200 inmates. In 1989 he transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution in Englewood, Colo., serving as department head for pastoral care.
After working as an extern deacon in the Archdiocese of Denver for three years, Deacon Ward was incardinated into the archdiocese by Archbishop Francis Stafford on Dec. 30, 1993. He served at St. Mary Parish in Littleton for seven years starting in 1990. In 1997, he began serving at St. Joseph Parish in Golden. From 2000 to 2003, Deacon Ward was assigned to the Blessed Kateri Catholic Community. He also spent a year at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in 2003. He returned to St. Mary’s in 2004. Although he officially retired in 2009, he continued to minister at St. Mary’s until shortly before his death.
“Deacon Bill was a wonderful inspiration and model for other deacons,” said Deacon Joseph Donohoe, director of deacon personnel. “He lived by the sacraments and it was through his words and example that he taught others how to dedicate their lives to God. He was a bright light in the world and we were motivated by his ministry and his love for God and for others.”
Deacon Ward is survived by his wife, four adult children and eight grandchildren.
A vigil service was held at Drinkwine Mortuary in Littleton on Jan. 17. A funeral Mass was celebrated the next day by Bishop James Conley, apostolic administrator of the archdiocese, at St. Mary’s in Littleton. Interment was conducted at Fort Logan National Cemetery.
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