Robert John Ward passed away peacefully on May 20, 2019 at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, surrounded by his family following a quick and courageous battle with cancer. He was 86 years old. Bob lived a rich and healthy life filled with achievement, love and joy. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah to John (Jack) Monahan Ward and Erma Leona Simons. He married Norrine Meacham on January 2, 1960. She preceded him in death in 2015.
Bob had a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor. He appreciated beauty and art in all forms and loved to paint and gift his works to friends and family. He loved golf and was a good player shooting his age many times and twice scoring a double eagle. Many of his favorite memories and friendships were developed on the golf course. Bob was wise, kind, frugal, thoughtful, classy and always a gentleman. A loving grandfather, father, husband, friend, mentor and colleague. He was a family man. He met Norrine Meacham at Walker Bank where they both worked and soon fell in love forming a companionship that would last a lifetime. They were a great team and he loved her dearly. He loved his children (Curtis R. [Jana] and Leslie W. [Frank Corbett]) and taught them the value of hard work, empathy, integrity, dignity and compassion. He was always there for them and cherished sharing their successes and failures. He loved his grandchildren (Erin and Sean Ward; Alyssa, Julia and Marcus Corbett) and never missed an opportunity to be with them. He supported their daily accomplishments and milestone achievements; putting sage advice in beautiful scrolled writing on hand written notes to last a lifetime. They were the light of his life and brought him great joy. He took great pride watching them grow and succeed, and they in turn loved their Grandpa.
Bob loved to travel and he and Norrine traveled extensively throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. He was a voracious reader, able to talk about almost any subject from astrophysics to the Civil War, from evolution to current affairs. He appreciated good prose and grammar and was a fine writer himself. He had a successful career in banking with Walker Bank, First Interstate Bank, Wells Fargo Bank and Celtic Bank. Bob's successes came from old fashioned work ethic and smarts. He began as a bank teller and, while he enjoyed his rise, he never lost sight of his beginnings. Bob played an important role in the formation, management and operation of Celtic Bank and valued his relationship with the leaders, employees and clients of that organization and took pride in its success. He enjoyed working and keeping his mind active. He was also committed to maintaining his physical fitness and strength. Bob had the unique ability to make friends regardless of age. He loved his golf and bridge buddies. He valued his friends and worked hard to nourish friendships and in turn was loved by many.
We'll miss you Dad (Grandpa) but more importantly we will remember you often. We love you dearly.
Robert is survived by his two children, five grandchildren, brothers Blaine and William (Bill), and sister Nancy Jean; preceded in death by his brother Richard.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to (i)Country Club Employee Scholarship Programby check (or account charge) through The Country Club, or by check sent to Country Club Employee Scholarship Program, Undergraduate Advancement, University of Utah, 195 Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0511, or (ii) a charity of your choice.
There will be a celebration of Bob's life for friends and family on Wednesday, June 14, 2019 at The Country Club from 4:00-7:00 p.m. (Eulogy at 5:00 p.m.).
