Steven Ronald Ward

WARD, Steven Ronald, of Roanoke, Va., departed this life on November 7, 2008. A native of Richmond, Va., Steve was born on April 11, 1948 and was predeceased by his parents, Harry and Francis Ward. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Gail Hasselmann Ward; in-laws, John and Verna Hasselmann of Roanoke; sister and brother-in-law, Joan and Jerry Eyster of Southport, Conn.; brother and sister-in-law, Harry and Judy Ward of Chandler, Ariz.; and half-brother, William L. Ward of Augusta, Ga. In addition, Steve leaves behind many other sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews. After serving six years in the Air Force Reserve, Steve worked most of his life in the automotive industry. He loved NASCAR, boating on Smith Mountain Lake and throwing darts at Perkys. His greatest gifts were his quick wit, keen sense of humor and his lifelong love of animals, especially cats. Gail and the family would like to offer special appreciation to those who cared for Steve during the final stages of his illness, especially the staff of 12 West-Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Raleigh Court Healthcare, and his sitter, Melinda Henegar. Thank you for giving him the dignity the disease sought to destroy. To celebrate Steve's life, a memorial service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in the Chapel of Light on November 28 at 11 a.m., with visitation at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association or an animal welfare organization of your choice. Arrangements by Oakey's of Roanoke.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.