James William "Bill" Ward Sr.

SALISBURY – James William “Bill” Ward, Sr. 80, of Salisbury, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, August 2, 2019 after several months of declining health. Bill was born October 8, 1938 in Lula, Georgia to the late William Arthur Ward and Hazel Patricia Faulkner Ward. Bill was a graduate of Boyden High School in Salisbury, and began his career in the “real world” as a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman in medical radiography. He received specialized training in X-ray procedures at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. He also worked as a clinical instructor for radiology technical students at the Naval Regional Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA; North Carolina Memorial Hospital, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC; and Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC. Later, Bill experimented with developing black & white photographic film in processing chemicals for x-ray film. After an honorable discharge from the Navy, Bill attended the New York Institute of Photography with emersion studies in commercial, portrait, and color photography. Bill worked for several years in commercial and educational TV production in both New York City and Charlotte, North Carolina. He later purchased an established photographic studio in Gastonia, North Carolina and later expanded to Charlotte. His studio operations specialized in commercial and industrial photography for advertising agencies and manufacturing companies. He later combined his photography expertise with his technical writing skills to produce training and operator-maintenance materials for various manufacturing companies. He received additional technical writing training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Over the years, Bill received numerous awards for his work in television production; historical and political writings; and traditional film and digital photography. In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his step-father, Edward Aycock of Roanoke Rapids, NC. Bill is survived by his wife, Celeste Gayle Ward of the home; sister, Kay Ward Landrum of St. Paul, MN; daughter, Susan Darlene Ward of Little Rock, Arkansas; son, James (Jim) William Ward, Jr. (Christie) of Mooresboro, North Carolina; son, John Arthur Ward (Miran) of New York City; step-daughter, Tiffany Whitlock Meadows (Ed) of Concord, NC; and grandchildren, Rhiannon, Katherine, Manny, Shelby, McKayla, Annabelle, and Douglas. Visitation and service: The family will receive friends Wednesday, August 7, 2019 from 12:30 to 1:30 at Summersett Funeral Home. A graveside service with full military honors will follow at 2:00 at the VA National Cemetery of Salisbury, NC Summersett Funeral Home is serving the Ward Family. Online condolences may be made at www.summersettfuneralhome.com

James William "Bill" Ward Sr.

October 8, 1938 - August 2, 2019