Robert Henry Ward (Bob)

Robert Henry Ward (Bob) died April 15, 2024, at Dogwood Forest of Grayson’s memory care after fighting dementia for several years. Bob was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico on June 14th, 1945. Bob’s parents, Urstle and Pauline Blaich Ward, preceded him in death.

Bob grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and attended Michigan Tech where he earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1968. As a young engineer, who was fortunate to have mentors that influenced his entire career, Bob later moved south where he earned his master’s in civil engineering from Georgia Tech in 1982. With a particular interest in environmental engineering, his engineering career spanned 47 years. Bob held leadership positions with several local engineering companies during his career. These included Pond and Associates, Hayes James and Associates, Precision Planning, John Sweitzer and Associates and ending his long career with Carter and Sloope; opening their Athens area branch.

Engineering wasn’t just a job to Bob; it was his passion. One of the most influential events in his professional career was a trip he took with other engineers to Israel in 1992. Not only did they study methods of preserving limited water supplies, but they also visited holy sites. This forever affected him. Bob took pride in working with small communities and was instrumental in implementing environmentally friendly methods such as drip irrigation he studied in Israel.

Bob was a mild mannered and quiet guy but with a quick wit. Bob was a respected engineer. One of the owners of a civil engineering company he worked for in his latter years, once remarked that whenever he has an engineering design question, he would say “what would Bob do?”

Bob loved beautiful fall afternoons on The Flats pulling for his Yellow Jackets, Jekyll Island, a nice Chardonnay and spending time with family, especially when he became a grandfather.

Bob is survived by his wife, Joanie, his daughter Lynne Ward and granddaughter, Genesis (Gennie to Bob.)

No formal services are planned. There will be a private memorial with family later.

If anyone would like to contribute in Bob’s memory, the family would like consideration for the Georgia Tech Alexander-Tharpe Fund which supports student-athlete scholarships.

Bob may be gone but not forgotten. He was a hell of an engineer.