WARD, Richard Lynn

Vistoso Funeral Home, Oro Valley, Arizona Richard Ward July 21, 1948 - June 29, 2014 Richard Lynn Ward, 65, passed away June 29th 2014 peacefully and surrounded by his loved ones at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. He was born July 21st in Vici, Oklahoma to Richard Karl Ward and Norma Jo Symes and spent most of his years traveling and residing with his loving wife of 38 years, Irma and his two sons John and Chris in Tucson. After graduating from Northwestern Oklahoma State University with a degree in English on a football scholarship, Rick started his aviation career as an officer in the Marine Corps flying the F-4 with the Black Knights at MCAS El Toro and graduating from Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun). He then flew for Continental Airlines and subsequently piloted and instructed on the A-7 for the Arizona Air National Guard. After over 24 years of military service and retiring as a major, he then moved on to FedEx where he retired as a captain. He often sought out adventure, flying ultralights around the Southern Arizona desert and skydiving despite his morbid fear of heights. Other passions which did not require such lofty heights were scuba diving, skiing and reading. His charity work was focused on child related organizations including Pilots for Kids and St. Jude’s Hospital. From an early age he sponsored children in other countries, delighting in the letters they would send. He is preceded in death by his younger brothers David and Craig and his father Richard. He is survived by his mother Norma, wife “Brandy,” sons Richard Craig, John David (Lyndsay), and Christopher Lynn (Nahika) as well as his most recent joys, granddaughter Tyler Marie, 6 and grandson Haku Alexander, 8 months. Services will be held on Wednesday, July 9th at Vistoso Funeral Home at 11am, 2285 E. Rancho Vistoso Boulevard in Oro Valley. Memorial donations may be made to one of his longtime charities, Children Incorporated (childrenincorporated.org) and in memoriam, we urge you to fill out an organ donation card so that others may also have a second chance at life. “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”