NEWBURGH - Roger Alton Ward, 73, died at his home on September 19, 2024. He was born October 12, 1950, in Bangor, the son of Richard and Rita (Laflamme) Ward.
Roger was a lifelong resident of Newburgh and the sixth-generation proprietor of his family’s farm. He attended Newburgh schools, starting in a one-room schoolhouse and then at the newly opened Newburgh Elementary School, and later graduating from Hampden Academy.
At the age of 18, he constructed the current main barn of the farm, a testament to his hard work and dedication to preserving his family's legacy. He cut the wood for the barn during his senior year of high school and built it the summer after he graduated, doing the cement work, carpentry, electrical and plumbing.
In high school, Roger met his wife, Christine Osgood, with whom he shared 55 years of marriage, love, and partnership. Together, they raised three children, Renee, Renita, and Ryan, on the farm, instilling in them the values and skills that paved the way for their successes.
He was extremely proud of the farm and gave his children and grandchildren a love of the land. He was a great teacher, showing us how to identify all the trees on the farm, build a fire and make a survival snow shelter, garden and raise animals, and drive tractors and trucks, among many other things. He also enjoyed entertaining children on school field trips at the farm. He always loved watching things grow, whether they be kids, crops, cows or trees, and he was a master storyteller, right up to his final days.
He served as a volunteer firefighter for many years and on the Newburgh Appeals Board, eventually becoming the board chair. Additionally, Roger played a crucial role on the Planning Board, collaborating with close friend Collette Young to create Newburgh's first comprehensive plan, shaping the town's future.
Surviving in addition to his wife, Christine, are his mother, Rita Ward; his daughters, Renee Ward Kelly and her husband, Michael, and Renita Ward-Downer and her fiancé, John Ford, Jr.; his son, Roger Ryan Ward and his wife, Sarah; seven grandchildren, Ryan and Ian Kelly, Tristan and Cade Downer, and Emma, Logan, and Nathan Ward; two great-grandchildren, Emerson and Liam Kelly; his sister, Rinda White and her husband, Bill; two aunts, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and good friends. He was predeceased by his father, Richard, and a brother, David.
Please join us on October 5, 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Newburgh Town Office, 2220 Western Avenue, Newburgh, ME, for an ice cream social to celebrate Roger’s extraordinary life. Condolences may be expressed at SimpleCremationofMaine.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Roger Ward, please visit our flower store.
Roger was a lifelong resident of Newburgh and the sixth-generation proprietor of his family’s farm. He attended Newburgh schools, starting in a one-room schoolhouse and then at the newly opened Newburgh Elementary School, and later graduating from Hampden Academy.
At the age of 18, he constructed the current main barn of the farm, a testament to his hard work and dedication to preserving his family's legacy. He cut the wood for the barn during his senior year of high school and built it the summer after he graduated, doing the cement work, carpentry, electrical and plumbing.
In high school, Roger met his wife, Christine Osgood, with whom he shared 55 years of marriage, love, and partnership. Together, they raised three children, Renee, Renita, and Ryan, on the farm, instilling in them the values and skills that paved the way for their successes.
He was extremely proud of the farm and gave his children and grandchildren a love of the land. He was a great teacher, showing us how to identify all the trees on the farm, build a fire and make a survival snow shelter, garden and raise animals, and drive tractors and trucks, among many other things. He also enjoyed entertaining children on school field trips at the farm. He always loved watching things grow, whether they be kids, crops, cows or trees, and he was a master storyteller, right up to his final days.
He served as a volunteer firefighter for many years and on the Newburgh Appeals Board, eventually becoming the board chair. Additionally, Roger played a crucial role on the Planning Board, collaborating with close friend Collette Young to create Newburgh's first comprehensive plan, shaping the town's future.
Surviving in addition to his wife, Christine, are his mother, Rita Ward; his daughters, Renee Ward Kelly and her husband, Michael, and Renita Ward-Downer and her fiancé, John Ford, Jr.; his son, Roger Ryan Ward and his wife, Sarah; seven grandchildren, Ryan and Ian Kelly, Tristan and Cade Downer, and Emma, Logan, and Nathan Ward; two great-grandchildren, Emerson and Liam Kelly; his sister, Rinda White and her husband, Bill; two aunts, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and good friends. He was predeceased by his father, Richard, and a brother, David.
Please join us on October 5, 2024, at 1 p.m. at the Newburgh Town Office, 2220 Western Avenue, Newburgh, ME, for an ice cream social to celebrate Roger’s extraordinary life. Condolences may be expressed at SimpleCremationofMaine.com.
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