Funeral Service for Raymond Sylvester Ward, Sr., age 80, were held Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Millwood Primitive Baptist Church in Pennington, AL.
Raymond Ward, Sr. was born on January 28, 1942 to the late Prince and Annie Daisy Ward in Choctaw City, AL. He attended Choctaw County School and Wilcox County Training School in Miller’s Ferry, AL (Christian School) and was a member of Millwood P.B. Church. Raymond married Augusta Foster on November 22, 1967; they would have celebrated 55 years of marriage (TODAY). From their union four children were born, Cynthia, Yvette, Louise, and Raymond Jr.
He joined the U.S. Air Force on December 18, 1959, where he served as an Air Force Admin Clerk. He was selected to the All Armed Forces Basketball team where as the leading scorer, he was instrumental in his team winning the European All Armed Force Championship. He was Honorably Discharged on September 9, 1963. Later, he was employed by Meridian & Bigbee (M & B) Railroad as a Railroad Office Clerk, where he retired after 20 plus years.
As a man of God, Raymond served his family, home, church, country and community. He was a faithful servant of Millwood P. B. Church, where he was a Sunday School teacher, Deacon, finance committee member, and Usher.
Having a passion for the outdoors, he could be found farming, caring for the Ward family grounds and cutting firewood. Raymond also freely helped people in the community in a variety of ways. After teaching Sunday School at church, he would visit the members who could no longer attend, sharing the weekly lesson with them at home and in the nursing home.
Raymond departed this life on November 16, 2022. He leaves to cherish his memories, his wife Augusta Ward of Pennington, AL; four children, Cynthia Ward Sutton (Devie) of Mobile, AL; Ora Yvette Ward of Orlando, FL; Louise Ward Smith (Douglas) an incredibly devoted son (in-law) of Madison, AL; and Raymond Sylvester Ward, Jr. (LaTonya) of Pleasant Grove, AL; a devoted granddaughter, Alicia Redus (LaRon) of Athens, AL; nine grandchildren, LaQuanda Rubin, Camesha Smith, Lonnie Edwards, Taneka Rubin, Ashley Edwards, Elijah Rubin, Deborah Rubin, Braylon Ward, and Jayden Ward; seven great grandchildren; two sisters, Mary Ward McGee of Pennington, AL and Ida Ward Bonham of Glen Dale, MD where eight siblings preceded him in death; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.