Richard Harvey Ward

Richard Harvey Ward was born in Sacramento, California, to Mary and Harvey Ward. He had two half brothers, Spencer and Roy, and a brother Patrick. He was raised mostly in Tehachapi, California, where he met his best and lifetime friend, Ted Padova; they shared a birthday. Richard had his daughter Carrie in 1972 and in 1979 met the love of his life, Julie. They married in 1982 and combined their families: Carrie, Jennifer, Gwen, and Ryan. Richard was licensed as a Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor (MFCC). He worked mainly in marriage counseling and addiction recovery. He later obtained a PhD.

He was an excellent parent to his four kids and an even better Papa to his ten grandkids: Sid, Wil, Ian, Julia, Meredith, Violet, Gryffin, Nico, Ellis, and Lewis. He was also Uncle Papa to his nieces and nephews. He loved an underdog, a lost cause, and an environmental charity. His special talents in the family included giving the family infant the "whammy" and taking friends and new family members under his wing and welcoming them into the family circle. He was the family chauffeur and designated airport greeter. No one came to visit without being welcomed by his beautiful smile. His face would light up and you would know just how much you meant to him. He enjoyed the family pets, pool, golf, camping, movies, rocky road ice cream, his recliner, and endless games of computer solitaire. He will be remembered as a great Dad, Papa, friend, uncle, and husband. He was a proud veteran, a true scholar, and a gentleman.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in Richard’s name to :

The March of Dimes (https://www.marchofdimes.org)

The Arizona Humane Society (https://www.azhumane.org)

The National Parks Conservation Association (https://www.npca.org)

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ShadowMountainMortuary.com for the WARD family.