James J. Ward, Jr.

1926 - 2020

1926 - 2020
James J. Ward, Jr., former managing partner at Simpson, Thacher and Bartlett, and former associate dean of the Columbia Law School, died peacefully in his sleep in Sarasota, FL early on January 30.

He is survived by six sons and 11 grandchildren, and his sister, Dr. Ann Ward Buetow of Williamsburg, VA.

He was 93.

Born in Elizabeth, NJ, he and his twin brother John (also deceased) were the eldest of six children. His father, James J. Ward, Sr. was a detective and bank board member in Elizabeth. His mother, the former Mary Devine, was the daughter of Michael Patrick Devine, chief foreman at the Singer sewing machine factory.


In 1944, Mr. Ward planned to attend Columbia College in NY, but, in September, he and his twin volunteered for the Navy instead.

After the war, he entered Columbia and played football, including as a member of the 1947 squad that broke Army's 32-game winning streak. In his 1949 season, Mr. Ward served as team co-captain.

Mr. Ward entered Columbia Law School after graduation. Just prior to his graduation from law school, Mr. Ward was appointed a fellow of the Bar of the City of New York.

After his fellowship and a clerkship in the New York Court of Appeals, Mr. Ward began an over 25-year relationship with the New York firm Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett.

During this period, Mr. Ward, who had been honorably discharged to attend Columbia, volunteered for the Navy Reserves, serving until 1966 when he was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant, JG.

In 1956, at a wedding, Mr. Ward met Anne Sweeney, and, in 1958, they were married. They had their first of six sons in 1959. Mrs. Ward died in September, 2017.

After seven years at Simpson, Thacher, in 1962, Mr. Ward became an associate dean at Columbia Law School. He returned to Simpson, Thacher in 1964 as managing partner, serving in that role until 1982.

Besides his professional responsibilities, Mr. Ward was an avid volunteer to youth sports, founding a football league in Princeton, NJ and, later, a lacrosse league in Montclair, NJ.

After his retirement, Mr. Ward volunteered as an assistant coach at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers and later as an assistant coach at Cape Coral (FL) High School. He retired from coaching in the 1990s but was known to his grandchildren as "Coach" until his passing.

Mr. Ward was passionate about the arts, particularly the opera, and in his retirement, he and his wife traveled often to see grandchildren, sampled local restaurants and enjoyed a Florida lifestyle that constituted their last 35 years.

Mr. Ward is survived by his sons, Captain (USN, Ret.) Brendan F. Ward of Chula Vista, CA, Liam T. Ward of Longboat Key, FL, James J. Ward III of Woodbridge, VA, Patrick N. Ward of Denver, CO, Col. (Ret.) Owen T. Ward of Manassas, VA and Conan M. Ward of Princeton, NJ, as well as his 11 grandchildren, extended family and his sister.

Services have not yet been announced.