William (Bill) Grosvenor Ward was born to Alice Grosvenor and Leslie Reed Ward on July 1, 1948 in Colfax, Iowa.  Bill was one of five children from Alice and Reed's marriage, and grew up playing with his siblings and friends in and around the hills of his hometown.  He graduated from Colfax High School in 1966.  That summer, he had planned to work as an intern at the Colfax Post Office - but while accompanying his younger brother Bob to the Marine Corps recruiting station in Des Moines, he found himself being recruited and enlisted alongside his brother … and so Bill's life as a Marine began.

After attending Camp Pendleton, Bill was shipped out to fight the war in Vietnam.  Bill fought and served honorably in the 3rd Battalion, 26th Marines (3/26), including firefights in the 4-day Battle of Hill 48 (the Hill of Angels) in Con Thien during which 350 Marines were killed or wounded.  For his service to his country, Bill was awarded three Purple Hearts, the National Defense Medal, the Vietnamese Service medal with 1-star, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross Medal, the Vietnamese Civil Actions Medal, the Vietnamese Campaign Medal, a Rifle Sharpshooter Award, and a Good Conduct Medal.  Bill Ward was honorably discharged from service having attained the rank of Lance Corporal E-3.  As he settled back into small-town life, it would be many years before he spoke with anyone from his old unit again.

He attended UNI, then started a family with his first wife, Cathy. Together they had two daughters, Alicia and Jessica.  For the next several decades until his retirement, he built his career in the transport and technology industries working his way up as a software/systems developer, almost exclusively self-taught in the ever-changing world of programming.  After his first marriage ended, mutual friends introduced Bill to Jeanne, who became the love of his life.  They were married in 1997 and for the next several years, built a home together in Des Moines - often spending time with friends and family.  They enjoyed traveling together, and during their adventures they fell in love with southern Florida.  In 2003, they chose to make Florida their permanent home.

In his later years, Bill reconnected with some of his friends from the service, committed to honoring the memories of those who served their country and were wounded or lost their lives.  He advocated for their recognition, and in a proclamation from Florida Senator Maria Sachs, Bill was officially recognized alongside fellow Marine and friend Rhett Holley, for their service to their country and for their support - adopting legislation designating August 7 as "Purple Heart Day" in Florida, a day when we are encouraged to honor those wounded or killed while serving in the Armed Services.

In the early 2010's, Bill was watching a PBS documentary about a young Allied fighter pilot who was shot down over Nazi-controlled Belgium. He realized shortly into the program, the pilot was his own uncle, Lt. Bill Grosvenor.  He had been unaware of most of his uncle's WWII experiences, and also his own father's time in the service.  Because of this, he was compelled to share his own story - not only of the battles, but also the day-to-day experiences as he remembered them - the beautiful landscapes, meeting people, the memorable experiences - and what he learned from it all.  It was also something to share with his children and grandchildren about his time in the service, and the men with whom he'd served.  Bill's book, Remembering Vietnam 50 Years later - From Colfax to Con Thien, is that story.  It's available on Amazon, but he also recently shared a link where you may read it for free  here  .

Bill and Jeanne built a beautiful life together, and in his retirement years he particularly enjoyed editing and sharing his wife's stunning nature photographs on social media.  They looked forward to escaping together each summer to the beauty and serenity of the Smoky Mountains, sometimes joined by family and friends.  Bill also devoted his time and energy in his last few years to supporting emerging writers in Nigeria, and helping students prepare for the UTME (Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination) standard exams for prospective undergrads in Nigeria.

Bill was an incredibly loving, supportive, gifted, kind and generous man.  He will be widely remembered for his special gift of telling stories - many of us who were in his audience can smile fondly remembering his ability to spin a yarn (and sometimes, knit a blanket with it) …. always with a smile on his face.  He was a very special man, and to say he's deeply missed doesn't come close to describing the loss we feel in his absence.  He will be loved and remembered for generations to come.

William Grosvenor Ward passed away at his home in Boynton Beach, FL on Sunday, May 5, 2024.  He is survived by the love of his life, Jeanne (along with their pets Heidi and Bear), his sister Margaret Ward (Boynton Beach, FL); brother Richard Ward (Delray Beach, FL); his daughters Alicia (Jason) Rosemeyer of Stuart, FL and Jessica Ward of Des Moines, IA; several grandchildren and step-grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, along with many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death are his parents, Alice and Leslie Reed Ward, and beloved brothers Jim Ward and Bob Ward, half-sister Marlene W Soniga, and half-brother Larry Ward.

Graveside services with military honors will be held for Bill at the South Florida National Cemetery, 6501 S. State Road 7, Lake Worth, FL at 9:30 AM on Friday, June 14, 2024.  Additional information regarding a Celebration of Life in honor of Bill will be updated in this space when information becomes available.