Harold L. Ward

Harold L. Ward, 96, of Grand Island died Sunday, February 28, 2021, at Tiffany Square Care Center in Grand Island.



Funeral services will be at 10 am on Thursday, March 4th at the Gollaher Chapel of Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Del Roper will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral service. Apfel Funeral Home – Grand Island is assisting the family.



In lieu of flowers memorials are suggested to Trinity United Methodist Church.



Harold Lyle Ward was born June 6, 1924, at Pasadena, California to Harold and Agnes (Wall) Ward. He grew up in St. Paul, Nebraska and graduated from St. Paul High School in 1941. He then attended St. Paul Business College.



Harold enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on December 14, 1942. He served with 13th Air Force, 5th Bomb Group, 23rd Bombardment Squadron in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, obtaining the rank of Air Force Staff Sergeant. He was honorably discharged on December 16, 1945. In 1947, Harold joined the U.S. Naval Reserves and was discharged in 1948. He then attended Kansas City Junior College. He was employed as an air traffic control specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration for 36 years.



Harold married Esther M. Vaughn on April 9, 1949, at Kansas City, Missouri. To this union children were born, Karen and Douglas. Esther preceded him in death on March 16, 1992. Harold married Donna Lynn Kemper Swartz on October 1, 1996, at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. They later divorced.



He attended Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island and was a member of the American Legion Post of St. Paul; was a life-time member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the Nebraska Old Time Music Makers; Show Me Dulcimer Club; Central Missouri Ham Radio Club and the Grand Island Amateur Radio Society. He took great pride in continuing to maintain his private pilots license over the years.



Survivors include his daughter, Karen Reese of Grand Island; son, Douglas (Cheryl) Ward of Grand Island; and three grandsons, Ryan (Megan) Reese of Simsbury, CT, Conor (Allison) Ward of Lincoln, NE and Derek Ward of Omaha, NE; and three great granddaughters, Harper Reese, Willa Reese and Evalyn Ward.



He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Jane (Wall) Ward; his wife, Esther; four younger siblings, Donald Ward, Dale Ward, Doris Wagner and Rosemary Fredrick; and son-in-law, Clark Reese.