Comments:
Peter Evans: It is with the sorrow of loss and the joy of memory that I write about the passing of Steve Ward. Steve is probably the most understated and other-centered person I have ever known. While he positively impacted others, nothing was ever about him. We roomed together at Amherst, and he was my best man when Sue Dillon and I were married in 1970. In the mid ’70s, we worked together in boarding school life at Avon Old Farms and traveled to Wesleyan together for graduate school in the summers before Steve and wife Pat Rogers moved to the Boston area. There Steve began his four-decade immersion at Roxbury Latin where he continued to make an enormously positive difference in the lives of boys finding their way in life. Steve, Pat, Sue and I have remained close for over a half century, seeing each other regularly and traveling together to far off places. If the definition of a life well-lived is “making a difference in the lives of others”—family, friends and thousands of boys. Such a definition fits Steve Ward perfectly.
Tito Craige: Kim and I visited Steve and Pat in Roxbury three years ago. Since I had many happy memories of Steve from Amherst, I was thrilled to reconnect. He and I were teammates on the crew team and buddies afterwards. He was incredibly strong but always humble, and, as an oarsman, he led by example. He was the essence of a quiet leader, so he was reluctant to talk about his accomplishments.
As we were visiting, we were delighted to see Pat’s garden and memorabilia. Then Steve looked me in the eye and touched my shoulder gently. He said that he wanted to share something very personal, and he described the difficult diagnosis he had received. He reassured us he would do all he could to stay in good shape, and, indeed, he worked out at the gym so as to hold off the worst effects as long as possible. Steve was true gentle man and a humble leader. He led from his heart, and, when you talked with him, you sensed you were in the presence of a tough guy, a wounded healer and a spiritual being. He was a brilliant star illuminating lives of thousands of young people. Bye, Steve.
Keith Goggin: Thank you and so sorry to hear the news. I believe I knew Steve because of football freshman year, not sure. But we shared some rides back and forth from the Boston area. Steve was the only person I knew who went to Roxbury Latin, besides my father. I did not know him well but think of him as a warm and caring person.
Scott McGee: Steve was one of the most balanced persons I knew at Amherst. We were not close friends but certainly friendly acquaintances. I best recall watching Steve during the crew off-season working his tail off in the weight room and pushing himself beyond any limit I had ever thought about. His mild manner belied a work ethic that was part of his nature. I was always relieved that Amherst Rugby imposed no such rigor, at least for the left-wing position.
Robert Nathan: Steve was my freshman-year roommate in Stearns. Two people could not have been more dissimilar or from more dissimilar backgrounds. Maybe partly because he was such a modest and unassuming guy and because I spent most of my time in Stearns on other floors, I don’t remember him well. What I remember is his preternaturally gentle spirit and a strong focus on his academic work, in which he was deeply engaged and determined to succeed, and on football, which gave him great pleasure. Looking back, I wish I’d gotten to know him better. I suspect there was a lot to learn that I missed.
Jim Manwell: In the small world department, my former Ph.D. student, Matt Lackner, who is now a professor in the mechanical engineering department at UMass and my successor as the director of the Wind Energy Center, had gone to Roxbury Latin himself. Below is his response to my question if he knew Steve.
Jim,
I did go to Roxbury Latin, and I was very lucky to have had Mr. Ward for three classes. He wrote one of my college recs too. He was a really fantastic teacher and a great guy. I heard the sad news last week.
I had no idea you knew each other! Did you wrestle together? He was the coach.
As follow up, Matt sent some more reminiscences this morning:
Such a small world. I took western civilization, AP U.S. History and America at War with him. He was a really kind and engaging guy. Improved my writing a ton. The America at War class was senior year, and we were all into college already by Christmas so we did a huge section on the Civil War including watching most of Ken Burns’ documentary. He allowed us a chance to throw a Nerf football at our friend Gavin whenever he fell asleep in class. All in all, he really made a big impression on me. Sad news but I think a good life too.
Rob Yamins: Steve sounds like he was a teacher and person in the mold of the best of Amherst tradition. I can tell my almost 14-year-old daughter would have loved having a class with him.
A good life indeed, and I wish I’d known him too. My condolences to the class on your loss.
Eric Nelson: Steve was my sophomore-year roommate. He was an all-around great guy. He worked hard at everything he did, be it his studies or sports. He was quite thoughtful, respectful to everyone, and he never hesitated to lend a hand. And he had a great sense of humor. I understand why Steve was able to make such a big impact in his role at Roxbury Latin. I truly regret not staying in touch.
Denis Ransmeier: Of the many names that spring to mind when I think of my Amherst friendships, two spring to the top; Viktor Decyk, my roommate in Morrow Hall and Theta Delt Chi, and Steve Ward. I’m not sure just when I met Steve, but it probably was the first day of crew practice on the Connecticut River. Rowers bond. (That’s something that has been observed for eons.) Here are some of my scattered thoughts from our friendship.
As rowers at Amherst, we were pretty much on our own. I remember Steve and me running in the snow in the off-season. The only Amherst boat that was better than mediocre over my four years was four-person shell with Steve, Jamie Cabot, Chip Morgan and me. We made it to the IRA national regatta. (Then, and to this day, men’s rowing in this country has avoided the clutches of the NCAA.) Steve’s strength and persistence were the heart of that boat.
Other than when I was on summer vacation, I never paid for a haircut during my four years at Amherst. Steve always cut my hair. That includes the haircut I wore at my wedding shortly after our graduation. The girl I married was a student at Mount Holyoke, and Steve would frequently lend me his car so I wouldn’t try to talk her into hitchhiking across the notch. Steve was my best man.
After graduation, I only saw Steve a couple times. At some point, he had taken up distance running and traveled to D.C., where I was living, and invited me to join him in the Cherry Blossom Race. (Won by Bill Rogers.) I immediately and compulsively became a competitive amateur distance runner.
The last time I saw Steve was shortly after our 10th Amherst anniversary. I was surprised and disappointed when he didn’t attend. So I contacted him when I was planning to be in Boston. He and Pat had me to dinner and a very pleasant evening at their place. It was then that I learned that Steve’s memories of Amherst were less favorable than mine. To this day, I cannot tell you why that was the case. And even if I could, I’m not sure this is the way to do it.