
To all the family,   

 So sorry to hear of the passing of Ivan. Remember  my  frequent visits, along with my parents Bill and Helen Ward, many years ago. Ivan was my distant cousin. Praying  for all.

I will be praying for you all  have always enjoyed our friendship.

Life won’t be the same without you Uncle Ivan.    You always assured me that God wanted the best for me and helped pick up the pieces when the world was anything but the best for me and my kids.   I’ve listened to your funny stories sitting alongside my Pap paw’s side since I was a little girl.   You’re truly one of a kind.  Enjoy the fellowship now with my daddy,  Pap-paw and Steve in heaven - give them a hug for  me.   Until we see you again— we love you and will be missing you 💞🙏GlendaAnn and the kids 💞 

Mr. Ward was truly a wonderful man. I remember him very well at Greeneville High School. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Rest In Peace. 

Thank you mr.ward for being a good friend to me and my family when i was growing up  and to the family I want to give my condolences to yall may God bless yall and keep yall 

Mr Ward  touched so many peoples lives during his years as a teacher and administrator .  He always seemed a bit scary but really once you knew him you realized that he was a fair man that treated everyone with respect.    
 

So sorry to hear about your dad but we know he is in a much better place.

So sorry to hear of Ivan Ward passing. Linda called me and our prayers are with his family. I first met Ivan when he was at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX.  It was early 1952 and he came into Woolworths Downtown. Worked there on Saturday and summer . After a while asked him to attend my church.  He came a few times and his mother was here with him. He would take her to First Presbyterian then go back and pick her up. He was a very nice gentleman and good to his mother. We dated a few time and then he transferred to Illinois and we corresponded for a while. I was a Senior and graduated in 1953.  In April 1954 got married and wrote him  I would not be writing. Several years passed and my sister live in Tennessee and granddaughter in Virginia. Looked him up on Facebook and found Ivan. We used Facebook for a while and in November 2014 contacted Ivan and Linda  to see if they would be able to meet us at Cracker Barrel for dinner in Newton. We met Linda and they met my husband and son. Very nice visit as it had been over 50 years. I know he was a great educator and loved his family and the Lord. Rest in peace Ivan.   Janell & Wayne Sterling from Texas

Mr. Ward, 
What a special man you were.  I just could not imagine High School without you having been there.  You were firm, but fair.  You actually gave me my very last "paddling" for talking too much in Mrs. Burley's class. (Big surprise!)   She often preferred that I work out in the hall...you did not.  :)  I was so excited to find you once again on Facebook and reconnect.  You were loved and appreciated so much  more than you ever knew.  Thank you. Thank you for being you and helping to mold so many children into productive adults who continue to love and respect you.  You will be greatly missed!!  May you rest in peace.  Love you! 

What a blessing many of us has had in our life time to call Ivan Ward a mentor and a awesome friend.  He helped  so many, he never made a difference if you was poor,  wealthy, no matter the color of your skin, or your nationality, we were all the same to him he loved us no matter what. Blessed Beyond measures you will be missed. We love you Ivan Ward. Till we meet again 💕💕💕🙏keep a watch on us💕

Ah, Mr Ward. Thank you for understanding why I skipped class all those years ago and only pretending to punish me so we could both save face. It’s a memory I love to tell even to this day.  You were one of the very best. 

Ivan will be greatly missed. He was a wonderful administrator at GHS and always a gentleman.  Mike always liked it when Ivan drove his dump truck to school.  One spring break he was going to Florida in his RV and he offered to give our young daughter, at the time,  a ride to Mike's sister's house in Cocoa Beach. She was treated royally!! Our sincerest condolences to the family. 

My father Coach Franklin worked with Ivan for many years . I remember one summer in particular I was still very young ( prob 8 or 9 ) and my parents and I were going to visit family in Florida . My dad said I got the chance of a lifetime because I could ride down early to visit longer with my cousins if I wanted !! All I had to do was ride with Ivan in his RV a few weeks earlier then them and they would drive down to join me later . I jumped for joy !!! ( as having time with my Florida cousins was never long enough!) Any way ..... I realized the moment I saw him that I had never met this man !!! I was instantly freaked out !!! But what was I to do !?! I was going either way !! My parents reassured me of course. I remember getting all my " travel " bags full of stuff stacked all around me like I was scared to death of this man. All he ever did was talk to me the whole time and every store we stopped at I never got out , but he always brought me bk a sack full of candy's and drinks every time ......looking bk it was one of the sweetest things anyone I really didn't know at the time did for me. Later in life he was my vice principal for all 4 years of Ghs. O the tales I could tell of getting sent to his office lol ( I was a Little mischief sometimes ) and all he ever did was lower those glasses and say " now Hannah, do you want me to have to tell your dad about this ???" Of course I would plead NO lol Ivan was much a better push over than him lol so he just made me sit in his office and be quite while he worked. When he felt my time was up and everyone would believe I got in so much trouble , he would then send me bk to class and say " see ya next time and stay outa trouble!" Lol what wonderful memories i'll always cherish in my heart of this man and growing up in his presence.....lost but never forgotten. You touched so many without even knowing.  Fly high Mr Ward. We'll meet again on that fine day !!!

Remembering 'Mr. Ward' with great fondness. He was my 8th grade teacher at Newport Grammar School. 

I hate so much of Mr. Ward's passing. I worked with him in the attendance office when I was in high school, and he was my favorite staff at the school.  He was always so friendly and had a smile on his face and was a pleasure to know. 

OBITUARY

Ivan Luther Ward

May 2, 1933 – September 21, 2021

Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home

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