PETER WARD

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PETER WARD January 30, 1920 March 24, 2012 Perhaps one could say he died of a broken heart, for that is the situation Dad found himself in after being evacuated from his beloved Delta Marsh home last May, during an unprecedented flood of the entire hamlet. Perhaps you could say he was ready to rejoin our mother Joyce, to whom he felt closer than ever at Delta since her passing. However it happened, he is gone from us, and we were not ready. Unfinished painting on the easel; his memoirs written over the past year or so, waiting to be published, precious memories of the growing-up years at Delta, his time in the Air Force, first as a pilot instructor in Davidson, SK, and then as a Squadron leader stationed in York, England; memories of his part in the development of Delta Waterfowl and Wetlands Research station and the study programs conducted there for thousands of students; talk of fishing with his brother Russell and Bob, when the weather warmed up a bit more; another book yet to read to keep him informed of the world events around him. This sensitive and insightful 92 years old man had many plans for the future but this was not meant to be. Dad moved at the age of six with his parents Ed and Nellie Kate, who were coming across the frozen Lake Manitoba from Loch Monar, Manitoba, near Erinview, to work for the Bell family from Minneapolis. He lived the rest of his life surrounded by the marsh, and his life's work of paintings attests to how much he loved, understood and appreciated this life. His contributions to the world of wildlife, waterfowl and art will not be forgotten. Predeceased by our mother Joyce (nee Mair) in 2007, his sister Eileen Edmonds, his brother Torry, brothers-in-law Hans Albert Hochbaum, Claire Cook and Art Edmonds, and nephew George Hochbaum and his wife Valerie. He leaves behind his daughter Jill Cross of Stillwater, MN and her children Peter Cross and his wife Lisa and daughter Anna, Miles Cross and wife Julie and children, Max, Graham and Nina, and Betsy Cross and daughter Genevieve; son Peter Maxwell and wife Cheryl or Okotoks, AB and her daughters Keelee and Zoie, daughter Laurel Ward Black of Delta and her sons Scott and Jennie, and Alex and wife Andrea; Kevin of Delta and his wife Cindy Bluhm and son Chris; Miles of Delta and his children Julian of Alberta, and twins Mitch and Rachel of Winnipeg; and Jocelyn Ward of Winnipeg and her husband Grant Mader and son Benjamin. He is survived by sister Joan Hochbaum of Portage, brother Russell of Portage and his wife Wilna, sister Sheila Cook of Portage, sister Beulah Follett and her husband Jack of Edmonton, AB., and sister-in-law Joan Ward of Portage, as well as many nieces and nephews. Cremation has taken place. After a private family internment at St. Mary's Cemetery, a Come Go Tea in celebration of Dad's life will be held April 14 at 2:00 p.m. in the Crocus Room, Herman Prior Centre. Because of the generosity of a benefactor, Dad was able to attend Art School in New York. He would be honoured if in his memory you would make a donation to the Portage and District Arts Centre in his name for a bursary to be set up to help a struggling artist in the future. I have no quarrel with the life I've led, longer and freer than most. A better person I might have been, if a roadmap for such existed. -An excerpt from the Memoirs of Peter Ward, unpublished.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 31, 2012