Jack was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1934, the second son of Thelma and Ted Ward. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Avon Park, Florida. There, under the shadow of World War II, Jack spent his childhood monitoring the skies for the German aircraft, swimming in crystal clear lakes, and unwisely feeding marshmallows to alligators.
Jack’s talents for music and business surfaced in these early years. In sixth grade his devotion to the trombone began, and he played it almost his entire life. At Ward’s 5 & 10 Cent Stores, he manned the broom and the cash register, absorbing his father’s patient and gentle style with staff and solid sales techniques with customers.
At a young age, Jack also became conscious of intolerance and discrimination. In his personal and professional life, he never missed an opportunity to bridge that divide and demand equal treatment for all people.
Following his dream of becoming a Presbyterian minister, Jack attended Wheaton College in Illinois, where he met his future wife, Mary. They started their married lives in Blackshear, Georgia, where Jack began his ministry at Blackshear Presbyterian Church. He served as a minister for many years, often preaching at remote country churches which he clattered to in his Karmann Ghia, the box turtles his children rescued from the road underfoot.
Jack and Mary’s journey did not end there. Jack’s dormant passion for business was resurfacing, In 1970, he earned an MBA from Drexel University—and then scrambled to figure out how to support his family of six. In 1973, he had the good fortune of meeting William Hodges. By 1975, with an old door as a desk and a shared phone, the real estate partnership, Hodges-Ward Associates was born. Soon Jack and Bill were selling mom-and-pop motels up and down 1-75. Hodges-Ward developed a reputation for professionalism, honesty and fairness that led to referrals and repeat business.
As the company grew, the two entrepreneurs found many profitable and unprofitable investments to pursue—“we never saw a deal we didn’t like,” Bill says—including a fried chicken restaurant, a fishing lure company, a cookie company, an oil well drilling venture, and “Thermolater,” an energy-saving water heater for hotels. Bill recalls, “Two guys never had more fun, close calls, or enjoyed each other more.”
With the addition of the young powerhouse Mark Elliott, Hodges Ward Elliott has become a premier hospitality real estate and capital market advisor, with national and international reach. Jack, a skilled and patient teacher, would be most proud of the fact that during his decades in the industry, he trained many who would become some of the leading hotel brokers in the country.
The foundation for this life well-lived was always their faith, and Jack and Mary lived their daily lives upholding its values. During his last moments and unable to be by his bedside during this pandemic, Jack’s youngest daughter played his favorite hymns for him through an open window. One of those hymns, the Doxology, begins “Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow …” a prayer that Jack lived every day of his life.
Jack Hill Ward is predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Mary. He is survived by his son, Dr. John Ward (Sarah), of Memphis; daughters Elizabeth Ward of New York City; Jacqueline Ward (Barry Waters) of Madison, Connecticut; Cindy Ward Flynn of Atlanta; as well as by grandchildren, Mary Elizabeth Ward, Walker Ward, Rachel Perry, Jack Ward, Michael Waters, Joseph Waters, Bailey Flynn, and Connor Flynn. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Margaret Ward of Deerfield, IL. His brother Ted predeceased him in 2016.
Details about a memorial service will be shared when it is safe for family and friends to gather.
In lieu of flowers, we suggest contributions in Jack Ward’s memory are sent to the Atlanta Community Food Bank or a charity of the donor’s choice which is able to help the most vulnerable in this extraordinary time.
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