Michael C. Ward, a grantwriter and community development organizer, passed away on April 12, 2021, in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Mr. Ward was born on September 21, 1950, to the late John R. Ward and Edrie Ward of Marks, Mississippi. After graduating from Greenville High School in 1968, he received his BA in Social Work from Delta State University, a law degree (JD) from the University of Mississippi, and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University.
In Greenville, he worked for MACE, Mississippi Action for Community Education, writing grants to fund civic improvements and leadership development in rural communities of the Mississippi Delta. The town of Metcalf was incorporated because of his work, to give just one example. Year after year, near or on his birthday, he also assisted backstage and with the sound production of MACE's Delta Blues Festival. He later worked for the City of Tupelo in the Planning Department, securing funding for various civic improvements. He then switched over from obtaining funding to selecting recipients for community grants with the Maddox Foundation in Hernando. Finally, with decades of experience on both sides, he provided board development and leadership training with the Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy.
Mr Ward is survived by his wife of thirteen years, Kathy Ward of Pontotoc; sister Rebecca Ward Doherty of Holly Springs; daughters Cheryl Ward Burkey of Fort Smith, AR, Heather Ward of Pearl, and Helen Ward of Meadville, PA; stepchildren Kammy Woxen, Kevin Sherman II,Odesta Jordan, Amber Dowdy, and Daniel Roberts, and twelve grandchildren.
Visitation will be held from 12:00-2:00 pm on Friday, April 16, 2021, at the Holly Springs Funeral Home. There will be a 2:00 pm service at the chapel of the funeral home with a small graveside service afterwards at Hill Crest Cemetery in Holly Springs, where he will be laid to rest next to his parents.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Delta Blues Museum (https://www.deltabluesmuseum.org/ or 1 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, MS 38614), with the notation "In Memory of Mike Ward" on the memo line of checks. |