John C. Ward, age 90 of Grand Rapids, passed away Sunday, August 4, 2013. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy (Delaney). Mr. Ward was born and raised in Grand Rapids, the son of Florence (Cowan) and John P. Ward. John attended Ottawa Hills High School and The University of Michigan. He owned and successfully operated Ward Brokerage Company for over 30 years. He is survived by his daughters, Kathleen of Minneapolis, MN and Janet of South Lyon, MI; sons, Brian of Gales Ferry, CT and Timothy and Jessica of Grand Rapids; his dearly loved grandchildren, Brendan, Ian, Marty, Jack and Claire; he also leaves his brother, Richard and sister-in-law, Phyllis Ward of Grand Rapids.
John was an avid Wolverine fan, loved the Detroit Lions and Tigers and any team that his children or grandchildren participated in. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He enjoyed sailing, aviation, traveling in his RV across the country, reading newspapers, feeding the birds and music from the swing era. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, August 7 at 11:00 AM at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 2750 Burton Street SE, Msgr. Ernest P. Schneider, presiding with visitation one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the Florence Cowan Scholarship, Grand Valley State University, P.O. Box 2005, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501-2005.
