Steven Ward

Steve Ward, 72 passed away peacefully at the Duke Hospice Center in Durham on August 14th, 2025. Born in Mebane, North Carolina, Steve loved so many things about being from the small town of Mebane.

He was the son of the late Joe and Jean Ward. Steve grew up in Mebane surrounded by an incredible neighborhood of truly caring families and neighbors. He was the second born son, with Andy Ward being the first born. Jeff Ward and his twin Jerome, were next in line, however Jerome passed away about six weeks after birth. Lisa Ward was introduced to us five years later – to complete The Ward Family.

Steve graduated from Eastern High School, before graduating from Wingate College at the time (now Wingate University), and finally received both BA and MA degrees from Appalachian State University. His Masters allowed him to follow a path in Special Education, that was a passion of his, as he finished University life.

Music was always in his heart and soul, so he began to write songs and lyrics, to express deep feelings he had for the things most important to him. He enjoyed reading books, sharing books with Cliff Thomas regularly. He definitely enjoyed being outside in nature – all the sounds and sights available, if we just look for them.

Steve is survived by brother Jeff Ward, living in the family home in Mebane; Lisa Ward and husband Paul Knecthel, also from the family home in Mebane, teaching in Anchorage Alaska currently. Two daughters – Stephanie Thompson and husband Vogan Thompson, and their children Tucker, Thea and Jack, living in Sparta, NC and Rachael Ward from Knoxville, TN.

A memorial service celebrating Steve’s life is being held Tuesday August 19th, at 2:00 pm followed by funeral services at 3:00 pm, at Walker’s Funeral Home in Mebane, NC. The Family is deeply touched by all the wonderful care that was extended to Steve by UNC Hospital in Hillsborough, NC and Duke Hospital in Durham, NC. while he was in their facilities. He received very caring and loving care at Duke Hospice as well, helping him transition from this life, to his eternal one.

For my personal note –

I can remember being a young Freshman, and ALWAYS PROUD when people asked me if I was Andy or Steve Ward’s brother – for me, they were BIG MEN on campus at Eastern… I looked up to them – Andy paved the way for Steve, and Steve paved the way for me - that I really enjoyed – I can still feel the smile I would have as a Freshman in ’69, when people put me in the same conversation with them – I STILL do…. Same thing happened years later when I was substituting at Eastern while Lisa was there – people would ask me if I was Lisa Ward’s brother --- I LOVED the look on their faces, when I’d say well, Lisa is MY SISTER … some took longer than others to ‘get it’ lol

In those HS days – most mornings would start, with seeing Steve and his friends, the upperclassmen (girls and guys), around the flag pole just outside the school office. Even from the distance I stood, as an ‘underclassmen’, Steve and his friends, probably without knowing it, taught all of us, the true SPIRIT of being an Eagle – with their laughter, shenanigans and a common PRIDE of being part of High School life – their ‘togetherness’ was awesome. Steve would talk many years later, saying some of his best memories were around that flagpole, and later at Appalachian, as a ‘happy Appy’.

We were separated by class years at EHS, but as we both finished our early years in college, we worked in the Summer at Cone Mills in Haw River. Steve had a Plymouth Duster – it was yellow – he named it “Dusty” – and we’d laugh and sing all the way to work in the mornings, and afternoons on the way home – to CCR and the Doobie Brothers mostly – a few years ago, I created an album on iTunes called “Dusty” – and he and I got to have some good laughs, and even a few tears, just a few weeks ago in the hospital, listening to, and reliving those days – ‘dusting the highway’, as he called it….. on our daily trips to work and back home, that magical Summer together. What a great memory of ‘just being brothers’.

Steve was FUN, loving and caring for others – most often those others didn’t “SEE” – his last song and lyrics – “I am ME” – summed up his dedication and desire to help those who feel unseen, bullied, ‘less than’ or left out. The central words to that song are awesome to me – “You’re not like me, but I’m just like you” ….. We are ALL human – so let’s do everything we can, to see each other, and be kind to each other – to HELP each other, along our collective paths.

Being with Steve as he passed away, was an honour for me.

I close in saying….

Thank you all for being here today – my Father thanks you, my Mother thanks you, Steve, Lisa and I thank you, for each of your contributions to us growing up in our wonderful community – Mebane.