Dalroy Martin Ward

Dalroy Martin Ward, Jr. was born in Buffalo, New York, on March 12, 1955, growing up in nearby East Aurora. In 1981, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo with a degree in Geography. While still in college he designed and implemented a Geographic Information System for the U.S. Geological Survey. Upon graduation he moved to Washington DC to accept a job offer at General Sciences Corporation (GSC), starting as a programmer and becoming a Senior Programmer/Analyst. There he worked on several projects for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acting as the software manager for the Graphical Exposure Modeling System (GEMS). He also worked on the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) for NASA, as well as multiple projects for additional U.S. agencies, such as National Institutes of Health and NOAA.

After GSC was acquired by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Dalroy continued to support the mission and the work of the EPA. He also enjoyed assistant-teaching computer courses at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) between 1985 and 1993. At SAIC, he moved into management, heading up the Envirofacts Project for the EPA, which pioneered public access to environmental data.

A devoted science fiction fan and convention volunteer, Dal Ward met his future wife, Edith (Edie) Tuckerman Williams, at Balticon, Baltimore’s annual science fiction convention. In 1988 they were the first couple to marry at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, where they both volunteered. They were frequent attendees at Orioles’ games. Their son, Trevor Antony Ward, was born in 1992, and on Dal and Edie’s anniversary the family moved to Columbia, MD. In 2001, Dal received a Master of Science degree from UMUC.

In 2006, Dalroy Ward joined the EPA, where he worked directly for fifteen much-awarded years, including receiving an EPA Unsung Hero Award. He is credited with creating a forward looking, yet practical, culture within the office, bringing new information technology tools into EPA, assisting developers in being more efficient and driving of innovation, and helping the Agency make decisions and deliver results more efficiently and effectively. Some of these projects included pioneering EPA’s use of Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and changing how EPA performs inspections with SmartTools. He helped found EPA’s Office of Digital Services and Technical Architecture.

Dalroy was unique in understanding the technological aspects of a project while also having the contracting and supervisory skills to turn the project’s potential into reality. In work, as in life, he was always eager to learn more, volunteer on new projects, share what he knew, and mentor younger and newer colleagues in their careers.

For 25 years Dalroy fought increasingly difficult medical challenges, even as he never lost his optimism, generosity, lifelong zest for work, and determination to carry on in the face of chronic illness. He enjoyed reading, films, international travel, and cooking. His son remembers, “He made the best chicken wings. We have the ingredients; we’re going to try to reconstruct it in his memory.”

Besides his son and wife, Dalroy is survived by his sister Elizabeth Hileman and husband Greg, his brother Brian Ward and wife Sally, nine nieces and nephews, and fifteen great-grand nieces and nephews. His sister, Deborah Ward, predeceased him.

A celebration of Dal's life will be postponed until 2022. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your local food bank.

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