Roland Jason Ward Jr.

loving and dedicated husband, father, and grandfather.

He was born to parents Roland Jason Ward Sr. and Lydia Ward (Zippel), on December 17, 1942, in

Gainesville, Florida. He was their second child, their only son, and the brother to five sisters - Cynthia,

Carole, Phyllis, Anita, and Shirley. Roland graduated from Gainesville High School in 1961 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserves after he graduated. In 1963, he then enlisted in the U.S. Army attending basic

training at Fort Jackson, SC and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, VA as a helicopter and fixed

wing mechanic.

Roland is survived by his loving wife of 58 years Suzanne Morris Ward, his son, Roland Jason Ward III

(Jay) and his wife Ruth of Boyce, VA, his daughter Lisa Suzanne Lawler and her husband Alan of San

Antonio, TX. His six grandchildren who knew him as "Paw Paw" - Meghan Alicia Penn of Woodstock, GA,

Christa Marie Mannino of Arlington, VA, Deanna Renee Ward of Tampa, FL, Daniel Steven Mannino of

Arvada, CO, Nicholas Joseph Ward (wife Olga) of Arvada, CO, and Faith Robin Lawler of San Antonio, TX. Two great grandsons - Joshua and Wilson Penn of Woodstock, GA. and his five sisters. He was preceded in death by his parents Roland and Lydia.

Roland was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army and the Army Reserves. He was a Vietnam veteran and

served from 1963 to 1964 with the 121st Assault Aviation Company known as the "Soc Trang Tigers" as a mechanic and crew chief in Soc Trang, Vietnam where he supported 350 troop extractions - earning the

Army Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart. He also served proudly in the Army Reserves from

1965 to 1983 with the 14Sth Medical Support Detachment (Army Aviation), Dobbins AFB, GA, and with

the 81st ARCOM (Military Intelligence), Fort McPherson, GA obtaining the rank of E-8 Master Sergeant

when he retired in 1984. In addition to his military service, he also worked for the government civil

service for the Department of Defense as a logistics aviation officer for 25 years and retiring in 1998

from the 5th U.S. Army Headquarters at Fort Sam Houston, TX.

Roland loved spending time with family and friends, running, coaching little league football and was also

a lifelong fan of the University of Florida Gators football team. He will be greatly missed.

A memorial service and celebration of his life will be Friday, February 11, 2022 at 1:00 pm at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX.