If life were a bowl of oatmeal, Joe Ward lived it bigly every morning with a heaping of sugar and softened butter. Joseph Thomas Ward, age 71, the youngest son of Larry and Doris Ward, passed away at home in Sun City West, Arizona on Aug. 10, 2021, after a long illness. Joe grew up in New Raymer, CO, where his grandparents Thomas and Lillian operated the Raymer Drugstore. After graduating from Longmont High School in 1967, Ward joined the US Marine Corps. Graduating Honorman at boot camp, he completed specialized rifle training at Camp Pendleton and went on to serve as an elite scout sniper in Vietnam where he received two Purple Hearts. Joseph Ward's wartime memoirs, Dear Mom: A Scout Sniper's Vietnam were published in 1991 by Ivy Books, a division of Random House. Ward is survived by his wife of 30 years, Rita; son Chance; daughter Chelsa Ward & husband Craig Lee; granddaughter Kelsi; brother Larry Clay, his wife Kay & her sister Mary McCormick, their children Mark & Kelli; grandchildren Jake, Brooklyn & Paige; his father's wife Alice Ward; sisters-in-law Celia Jones, Karen Bankston & husband Curt; Brian & Eric Fell.
Published by Greeley Tribune on Sep. 19, 2021.
Published by Greeley Tribune on Sep. 19, 2021.
If life were a bowl of oatmeal, Joe Ward lived it bigly every morning with a heaping of sugar and softened butter. Joseph Thomas Ward, age 71, the youngest son of Larry and Doris Ward, passed away at home in Sun City West, Arizona on Aug. 10, 2021, after a long illness. Joe grew up in New Raymer, CO, where his grandparents Thomas and Lillian operated the Raymer Drugstore. After graduating from Longmont High School in 1967, Ward joined the US Marine Corps. Graduating Honorman at boot camp, he completed specialized rifle training at Camp Pendleton and went on to serve as an elite scout sniper in Vietnam where he received two Purple Hearts. Joseph Ward's wartime memoirs, Dear Mom: A Scout Sniper's Vietnam were published in 1991 by Ivy Books, a division of Random House. Ward is survived by his wife of 30 years, Rita; son Chance; daughter Chelsa Ward & husband Craig Lee; granddaughter Kelsi; brother Larry Clay, his wife Kay & her sister Mary McCormick, their children Mark & Kelli; grandchildren Jake, Brooklyn & Paige; his father's wife Alice Ward; sisters-in-law Celia Jones, Karen Bankston & husband Curt; Brian & Eric Fell.
Published by Greeley Tribune on Sep. 19, 2021.
Published by Greeley Tribune on Sep. 19, 2021.
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