Ralph Ward

Ralph Aaron Ward, age 87, of Lexington passed on Friday, April 2, 2021 at his daughter’s home in Raleigh after several years of declining health.

A funeral service and burial will be held at 3:00 pm in the Lea Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Prospect Hill on Monday, April 12, 2021. Visitation will begin one hour before the service.

Friends who cannot make it to Prospect Hill for the burial can come to Davidson Funeral Home in Lexington, N.C. from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Friday, April 9, 2021, where Mr. Ward will lie in state and may also watch the Funeral, which will be uploaded on Tuesday at www.facebook.com/davidson.funeralhome.

Mr. Ward was born on a dairy farm in Davidson County on July 11, 1933 to Frank and Ester Hedrick Ward. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS degree in Agriculture Education and started his 42-year career in public education as the agriculture teacher at Prospect Hill High School in Caswell County. In 1962 he married Margie Daniels Ward, and immediately afterwards, they left for Purdue University in Indiana, where he received his Master’s degree. Upon returning to Caswell County, he continued work for the Caswell County Board of Education at the central office for 11 more years. In 1974 the family moved to Southport, N.C., where he worked for the Brunswick County School System as the Vocational Director until retiring as the Personal Director in 1998. After retirement, Ralph moved to Lexington, N.C. and enjoyed fixing up his 1962 car, tending his garden, working in the yard (he loved farming), travel, and playing with his grandson.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by three sisters, Neaty Doughterty, Willa Veigh Thomas, and Marie Michael, two brothers, Franklin Ward, and Charlie Ward, and his wife of 56 years, Margie Ward.

Surviving are his daughter, Maria Ward Ashbaugh; son-in-law, Dr. Brad Ashbaugh; grandson, Kalani Ashbaugh of Raleigh; and his brother, Wayne Ward and his wife Irene of Monroe.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the NC State University Foundation, Inc. at NCSU Campus Box 7474, Raleigh, NC 27695-7474 by check with Ralph Ward in the memo or can be made directly from the link below.

https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1209/give19/form.aspx?sid=1209&gid=214&pgid=7348&cid=11690&bledit=1&sort=1&dids=9347&appealcode=LB003013