John J. Ward

John Jeffrey Ward, beloved husband, dad, grandpa ("Boo-Boo"), friend, loved one, veteran, and consummate Red Sox and Illini fan, died peacefully in his sleep with his wife at his side in his Roscoe, Illinois home on Sunday, September 28th, 2025. He was 83.

He is survived by his wife, Sandi (Schluter) Ward; children, Bryant Ward and Brooke Ward; grandchildren Chloe, Josie, and Riley Ward; sister-in-law, Eileen Ward; cousin, Julie Brown; and other loved relatives. He is predeceased by his parents and his brother. The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the Mercy Hospice team (especially Amy, Mitchell, Jessica, Ramona, Julie, and Mandy), Dr. Sykora from Mayo Clinic, and the friends who supported us in his last days, showing him unending care, dignity, and love.

John was a proud Rhode Islander from North Kingstown, son of Adele Brown Ward and John Ward, and younger brother (and Irish twin) to Peter Ward. His parents owned a gift shop called the Bird Cage and his father was a journalist who wrote a long-standing slice of life column, "In Perspective", for The Providence Journal. Growing up, John played baseball and the trumpet in the marching band, and was a volunteer firefighter at the South Kingstown fire station before going on to graduate from Texas A&I. John joined the National Guard and then the Army Reserves, where he acted as a Ground Liaison Officer for F-4 Phantoms and F-16's and eventually retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. His time in the service brought him to San Antonio, Texas and to a local bar and hangout called "The Pit." It was into this bar and his life that Sandi appeared on a fateful St. Patrick's day, during which he bought her a green beer, and according to him, became "a total goner." After many years of long distance and near misses, John and Sandi were married during a snowstorm on December 27th, 1969 in Baraboo, Wisconsin. They were in their 56th year of marriage, and their relationship was one of John's most enduring sources of pride and meaning.

Alongside his wife, John's kids and grandchildren (his "grandbabies") were his greatest loves and biggest fans. His son Bryant was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, on a crisp winter day, and John said coming home from the hospital and watching the sun set knowing he was a father for the first time, was one of the happiest moments of his life. Six years later, after the family moved to Roscoe, Brooke was born, resulting in John's heart being wrapped around her finger for the next 45 years. And when Chloe (age 15), Josie (12), and Riley (12) entered the scene and made John a grandfather, new levels of joy (and opportunities for story-telling) were unlocked. Through it all, with John's guidance at the helm, the beating heartbeat of their family was their love for one another, their humor in challenging times, and their abiding habit of everyone but Sandi to be ten minutes late to everything.

John took an active part in his loved one's lives, never holding back from expressing his enthusiasm and support. He marched alongside his son's band in middle school, he learned his daughter's sorority chants, and he bragged about his family to anyone he met. He loved his career in food service and sales, taking great pride in bringing popular dishes to restaurants, including the jalapeno popper. The balance of closeness with his family, a fulfilling career, the purpose he found in the Army Reserves, and his hobbies allowed him to create a meaningful life on his own terms.

To know John was to know what he loved. He loved openly, loudly, and without limits. He loved making new "besties" and reconnecting with old friends. Many a Sunday morning was spent in the Roscoe United Methodist Church lobby, his booming laugh ringing out as he talked to people. As soon as the temperature rose above 45 degrees, he could be spotted driving around town in the family's Miata convertible with the top down, wearing a Red Sox hat, a Cubs jacket, and an Illini sweatshirt. He savored his mornings with a mocha latte, enjoyed next to Sandi, their cats Tigger and Spice purring by their side. The sunset of his life was spent in his home in the woods, surrounded by his family, watching The Princess Bride, telling stories, and eating the delight that is Culver's, with every bed and couch in the house filled by a loved one.

John was wholly and fully himself at any moment of his life, following his heart without hesitation. Those who experienced the warmth of his love and support, even for a moment, will never forget it. He was loved dearly and will be missed terribly. May his legacy live on through our own unbridled enthusiasm and love shown to others during the lives we live on Earth.

Visitation will be from 5:30 PM until 7:30 PM on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Honquest Family Funeral Homes with Crematory-Roscoe Chapel, 11342 Main St., Roscoe, IL 61073. Funeral service will be at 11:00 AM on Friday, October 10, 2025, in Roscoe United Methodist Church, 10816 Main St., Roscoe, IL 61073, with a visitation starting at 10:30 AM until the time of the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in John's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Tunnels to Towers: https://t2t.org/

St Jude's: https:/ /www.stjude.org/