He is survived by Judy Billingsley, his wife of 62 years, his three children (Dave, Donna, and Dan), fifteen grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren. His eldest daughter, Diana, preceded him in glory earlier this year.
Ward trusted in Christ as his personal Savior on August 16, 1956. His personal relationship with His Lord shaped the remainder of his life. Ward started work at McDonnell Douglas and began attending Midwest Bible College in 1956. It was at Midwest Bible where he met Judy Strong, they were married in 1960. Ward and Judy graduated in 1961. As published in their senior yearbook, Ward stated:
“I praise God for drawing me to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior. It is a wonder to be in the family of God and to have the privileges and responsibilities of an adult son. The innumerable privileges are beyond comparison with anything this world has to offer. I hope and pray to continue growing in the knowledge of His Word and to be able to abide by this knowledge, thus becoming more and more conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Upon graduation from Midwest, Ward served as Youth Pastor at West Overland Bible Church in St. Louis. Next, he returned to full-time work at McDonnell Douglas, while serving as Youth Pastor at Hope Bible Church in O’Fallon, Missouri. McDonnell Douglas became Ward’s personal mission field as he passionately shared Christ and the good news of the gospel; while experiencing everything from personal threats to management endorsement, he faithfully continued this ministry. At Hope Bible Church, Ward also served on the church board and taught an adult Sunday school class for years. He loved to study God’s Word and thoroughly enjoyed discussing the truths he found there.
Ward loved being outdoors - fishing, working in the yard, and taking country drives. He also loved his many dogs, and hoped that God will grace him with a heavenly pet reunion.
He intentionally shared God’s Word with his family and prayed for them daily. Ward’s legacy is a family of believers, four generations deep.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Project HOPE, 1419 Enterprise, Springfield, MO 65804, www.pjhope.org or Biblical Ministries Worldwide, (Please donate in support of the ministry of Josh and Lauren Allinger), 1595 Herrington Rd., Lawrenceville, GA 30043.
