William Joseph Ward

William Joseph Ward died peacefully on October 20, 2018, at age 90. He was born April 4, 1928 in Birmingham, Alabama to James Alto Ward and Linda Belle Heacock Ward. Bill graduated with honors from Howard College (Samford University) in 1949. He was elected to membership in Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, and served as president of both the student government and Pi Kappa Alpha. He received a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1952 and an L.L.M. in Taxation from NYU School of Law in 1961. He served as an air intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy 1952-55. An attorney with Balch & Bingham for 43 years, Bill directed the firm's municipal bond/public finance practice for more than 20 years. He was a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers and a Fellow of the American College of Bond Counsel. Bill was a member of Southside Baptist Church, the Board of Trustees of the Birmingham Symphony Association, the Advisory Board of the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Board of Overseers of Samford University, Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, The Country Club of Birmingham, and the Beaux Arts Krewe. He was a trustee of the Martin Foundation. He was preceded in death by his brother, James Alto Ward, Jr. and brother-in-law John Kenneth Morland. He is survived by his wife Caroline Teague Ward, sister Margaret Ward Morland, daughters Caroline Ward Miguelez (John) and Margaret Ward Willingham (John), grandchildren Caroline Ward Miguelez, Olivia West Willingham and William Stokes Willingham, sister-in-law Audrey Charbonnet Ward and brother-in-law Lavette Cox Teague, Jr. After a private service, the family will receive friends at Ridout's Valley Chapel on November 10 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Samford University or The Birmingham Museum of Art.