JOHN WILLIAM WARD Oct. 16, 1929 – March 22, 2022
John William Ward, scientist and musician, died March 22, 2022 at the age of 92. He passed peacefully at his home in Tijeras of complications stemming from a year-long battle with prostate cancer.
John was born October 16, 1929, in Moline, IL to William and Violet Ward. He graduated from Augustana College with a BA in chemistry, followed by a master’s from Washington University in Saint Louis with and later a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of New Mexico after joining the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) full time.
Coming to the Laboratory from Washington University as a summer student in 1955, John made an important discovery and was asked to stay on, and he moved out to Los Alamos with his wife Nima. Thus began a celebrated 65-year career with the Laboratory in Los Alamos that included a myriad of publications and awards, 3 guest tenures at the Euratom laboratory in Karlsruhe, Germany, and recognition as a Lab Fellow in 1983.
After “retiring” in 1992, John consulted at the lab for nearly 30 years until COVID finally convinced him he should stop working at the age of 90. During this time, John continued to make discoveries, publish papers, and compile chapters for handbooks on the actinide elements while delighting in mentoring colleagues and passing on a deep understanding of his field. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemists and an enthusiastic member of the Catgut Acoustical Society which publishes a journal celebrating the physics of musical instruments.
John was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who lived his personal life with the same vigor he applied to his career. He loved travel, gardening, model trains, nature, and animals, but his lifelong passion was music. John served as choir director at Bethlehem Lutheran Church until 1988, then moved on to direct the choir at Christ Lutheran Church in Santa Fe. He directed the Los Alamos Choral Society over more than two decades starting in 1966. When not directing a choir, John was either playing in the viola section or conducting for the Los Alamos Sinfonietta.
After Nima and John divorced in 1992, John married Arlene and they both built a history of music in Albuquerque, John sang and played under his good friend director Sheldon Kalberg at the First Presbyterian Church where Arlene also served as organist. He joined the Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque for more instrumental concerts, both playing and conducting.
John’s most ambitious concert project undertaken with all of his talented musical collaborators in Los Alamos was surely Dave Brubeck’s “A Light in the Wilderness,” an oratorio for double chorus, full orchestra, and jazz combo, performed by the combined Choral Society and Sinfonietta in 1975. When John mailed Brubeck a tape of Light in the Wilderness as performed by all of the Los Alamos musicians, he responded appreciatively. Later when Brubeck premiered his Christmas Cantata, “La Fiesta de la Posada” in 1976, he asked that the concert be performed in Los Alamos. The Ward family had the honor of hosting David and Iola Brubeck for dinner before the performances at the Duane Smith auditorium.
John is survived by his wife Arlene Ward of Tijeras, NM; first wife Nima Ward of Santa Fe, and their sons: William Ward and wife Veronica Saunero-Ward of Santa Fe; David Ward and wife Alison of Jamestown, RI; Daniel Ward and wife Heidi Swedberg of Los Angeles, CA; Michael Ward and wife Paula of Loveland, CO. His treasured grandchildren are Nicholas and wife Hsiao Lu, Kirsten, Carl and fiance Trinh Nyghen, Martin, Arielle, Ellis, Aidan, Alana and Nathan.
A Celebration of John’s Life will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, April 8th at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2390 N. Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the World Wildlife Fund or Nature Conservancy.
