In Memory of James Griffin "J.G." Ward
1925–2005
James Griffin "J.G." Ward, age 80, passed away peacefully in his home in Fairfield Glade, Tennessee on July 30, 2005 after a valiant battle with cancer. He was born on January 17, 1925 in Alabama to Lula and Forrest S. Ward. JG was a World War II veteran, serving in the 460th field artillery battalion and the 517th parachute regimental combat team. During this time, he fought in five major campaigns, jumping in the invasion of Southern France and also fighting in the Battle of the Bulge. For his service to his country, JG earned the Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medals.
He married Mary Ritchie on March 13, 1948. In 1950 he graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology where he was a member of the Sigma Nu and Sigma Gamma Epsilon fraternities. JG served with the State Oil and Gas Board of Mississippi and later moved to Houston, Texas where he worked with Phillips Petroleum Company and Jack Colle and Associates as a Micropaleontologist before retiring in 1994. During his career he was a member of the Houston Geological Society.
JG and Mary have been members of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church since 1972. He is preceded in death by his parents of Carrollton, Alabama, and his brother, Winston, of Durham, North Carolina. He is survived by his wife of 57 years; son Steven and daughter-in-law Rhonda of Watauga, Texas; daughter Shelley and late son-in-law Dr. Arthur L. Peiffer of Gunnison, Colorado; daughter Marianne and son-in-law Robert Haas and their children Matthew and Andrew of Ft. Worth, Texas; son Scott and daughter-in-law Kelli of Bloomington, Illinois; brother Bill and sister-in-law Cherry Anne of Athens, Alabama; two nieces; five step-grandchildren; three great grandchildren; and many loving friends and associates. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held in the chapel of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, Houston, Texas, at 10:00 A.M. on August 5, 2005. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations be made to Hospice of Cumberland County, 30 E. Adams St. Crossville, Tenn. 38555, Tennessee or Houston Humane Society, Houston, Texas.
Published in the Houston Chronicle on 8/2/2005.