Joe L. Ward, Jr.

Joe L. Ward, Jr. November 30, 1916 – October 29, 2009 Joe L. Ward, Jr., of Waco, passed away Thursday, October 29, 2009. Graveside services will be 11:00 a.m., Monday, November 2, at Oakwood Cemetery with Rev. Jeff Fisher officiating. Joe was born in Waco November 30, 1916, the son of Joe L. and Camille Webb Ward. He was a fifth generation Wacoan. He was educated in the Waco public schools and graduated in 1933. He then attended The University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated in 1937 with a degree in mechanical engineering. While at UT he was a member if the Phi Delta Theta social fraternity and was elected to the Friars, the Cowboys and the Pi Tau Sigma engineering fraternity. He also served on the university student council, representing the College of Engineering. On October 25, 1937, Joe married his high school sweetheart, Martha Harrison. In later years he referred to this event as “the outstanding accomplishment of my life.” There were many others. Immediately following marriage he was employed as a petroleum engineer by Texaco. After seven years working in the Gulf Coast oil fields, he returned to Waco following the death of his father to assume the management of Joe L. Ward Co. He remained in this position until he sold the company in 1989. Not long after returning to Waco, Joe was one of two principal organizers and the first president of Ridgewood Country Club. Joe was a lifelong Episcopalian. He and Martha were one of the fifteen founding couples of St. Albans Episcopal Church, having come over from St. Paul’s. He was chairman of the campaign to raise funds to complete the building of the St. Albans church, and he served on the vestry and as senior warden. He was on the executive board of the Diocese of Texas and on the board of trustees of St. Stephen’s School. Joe served as mayor of Waco and president of the Waco Chamber of Commerce. He was on the board of directors of the Waco Industrial Foundation for many years from its inception. He helped organize the Waco Business League and was a member of its initial board of directors. In the early 1960s he was the chairman of a blue ribbon committee that worked with a counterpart group in the African American community to accomplish the peaceful integration of all of Waco’s public facilities restaurants, motels, theaters, etc. This was at a time when there was much racial tension throughout the country. For this he received the Liberty Bell award. Joe was a member of the boards of directors of the Citizens National Bank and Waco Savings and Loan. He was selected by the founder of the Waco Foundation to be one of its original trustees. He was particularly proud of the over thirty years he spent as a trustee of the Cooper Foundation, part of which time he served as chairman. Joe had the love and respect of his employees at the Joe L. Ward Co., many of whom spent their entire working lives with the company. Joe and Martha had many friends over the years. Joe was a lifelong outdoorsman, and one of his most cherished activities was dove hunting with his wife and their friends. Joe and Martha also traveled throughout most of the world. Joe was an avid reader, and he continued to educate himself right up until the end of his life, by which time he had lost his sight and had to read via audiotapes furnished by the National Library Service for the Blind. Joe is survived by his wife, Martha; sons, Joe III Rayner and his wife, Holly, of Portland, Oregon; Harrison and his wife, Paula, of Crawford; and Jeff of Waco; grandsons, Lucas, Matthew, Emil, Nicholas, Travis and Lee; and granddaughters, Jessica Ward, Arianna De Falco, Emily Ward, and Alethia Ward; and 12 great-grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Tom Chase, Gary McFarlin, Tim Taylor, Jerry Snyder, Maher Tamimi, Tommy Husbands, Roane Lacy, and Aubry Richards. Memorials may be made to St. Albans Episcopal Church or the Cooper Foundation. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com.