Hugh Ward, Jr.

Hugh Delmar “Fred” Ward, Jr.

Age 61, passed away peacefully on August 20, 2021, surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer.

He will be missed by his wife of 21 years, Sarah (Runde) and their two children, Mikkel and Samuel Ward of Somerset, Wisconsin; sons, Hugh D. Ward III of Lima, Ohio and Jeremy (Janelle) Ward of Wapakoneta, Ohio; grandchildren, Bekka, Bryan, Gavin, Mallory, Jordan, Zoey, Jase, and Jinger; mother, Darlene Ward of Lima, Ohio; brother, Scott (Rita Ensminger) Ward of Worthington, Ohio; 3 nieces and 5 nephews; father and mother-in-law, Eddie and Corinne Runde of Riceville, Iowa; brother-in-law, Scott (Cheryl) Runde of Zimmerman, Minnesota; sister-in-law, Jessica (Brad Reisdorf) Runde of Edina, Minnesota; and many other friends and family. Hugh was preceded in death by his father, Hugh D. Ward Sr.; sister, Debbie (Travis) Ward Bush; and sister-in-law, V. Sue Ward.

Hugh was born in Lima, Ohio, on July 8, 1960.  He attended Lima High School and graduated in the class of 1978.  Hugh started working as a route driver for Nickles Bakery in Lima, Ohio.  This was followed by 23 years with Frio-Lay in Cleveland, Ohio and Coon Rapids, Minnesota where he worked in both sales and human resources over the years.  After retiring from Frito-Lay, Hugh worked as a store manager for Holiday Station Stores/Circle K, managing the Somerset Holiday store right up to his diagnosis.  Most days you could find him in the cooler at the store making sure items were stocked or talking with customers.  Hugh thoroughly enjoyed seeing regular customers in the store as well as the staff.  His family listened to stories about the wonderful people at Holiday that put a smile on his face every day.

Hugh was an Eagle Scout from Troop 51 of Lima, Ohio.  In his younger years, he loved to spend time playing football, volleyball, and baseball.  Many summers were spent camping with his family during his youth.  Hugh learned to alpine ski as an adult and enjoyed many weekends on the local Twin Cities slopes with Sarah, Mikkel, and Sam.  He could always be found in his orange jacket out on the snow.  Hugh also enjoyed deer hunting and was the originator of many tales of ‘big’ bucks and jokes around the campfire after a day in the deer stand.  The family enjoyed spending time on the north shore of Minnesota camping and hiking with their dogs and they enjoyed traveling together with a particularly memorable trip to Aruba being a highlight of their time together.

Thanks to Drs. Balkrishna Jahagirdar and Jason Robertson, the entire care team at Lakeview Hospital, Lakeview Hospice and Pillars Hospice House for their outstanding care and compassion.  We would also like to thank those who gave their support, time, and love to Hugh and Sarah in ways too numerous to mention.

Visitation will be August 24, 2021, 5:00-7:00 P.M. at the Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center, 2800 Curve Crest Boulevard, Stillwater, followed by a service on August 25, 2021, 10:00 A.M. at Lakewood Cemetery Chapel, 3600 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis. A private interment will follow the service at Lakewood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Lakeview Hospice or Pillars Hospice House.