William C. Ward

Naugatuck - Bill Ward, 90, husband of the late Jeanne (Shonka) Ward, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at his home in the company of his children.

Bill was born August 22, 1935, the son of the late Bill and Peggy (Coughlin) Ward and lived in Naugatuck most of his life. Bill graduated from Terryville High School and DeVry Institution of Technology. He was employed as a Quality Control Engineer and manager. He taught 7th grade catechism for ten years at St. Francis and coached Little League baseball and Wolcott High School tennis. He truly loved playing tennis with his friends. Bill was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force where he worked as a Radio Host and served in Thule Greenland.

Bill was two time president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) and served as a Democratic Town Committee member. Bill loved to visit the Caribbean islands and the Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire with his adored wife and family. He was proud of his Irish heritage and was Honorary Irish Mayor of the Day in Naugatuck, Connecticut in 2016. Bill led each moment of his life with a generous heart. He took his family out to breakfast any time he could and attended every last tennis match, soccer game, baseball game, dance performance, equestrian show, robotics competition, basketball game, cross country meet, play and concert of his many grandchildren- thousands of hours of unconditional love and encouragement that they will never forget.

Everyone who met Bill Ward loved him and remembered him. He was brilliant and charming, funny and kind, and made every person he spoke to feel like the most important person in the world. The example he set as a loving husband, devoted father, and magical grandfather will echo within his family for generations to come. He lit up every room he entered throughout his magnificent life, meeting life’s many moments - love, loss, and everything in-between- with courage and hope. While his absence here on earth is felt with crushing magnitude by all who knew and loved him, his legacy of radiant joy and strength -and how to make the very best of life- lives on.

We love you, Bill, Dad, Grandpa.

Mr. Ward is survived by his children, Lorinda Jean Bickley and her husband, Robert of Middlebury; son & Atty. William J. Ward and his wife, Margaret of Torrington; and Jillkerry Toolan and her husband, Brian of New York City; his cherished grandchildren, Billy, Jacqueline Jean and Tristan Mayes, Cat and Ryan Holub-Ward, Bobby and Anne Bickley, Jack, Kirsten, Olympia Ward Toolan and Brian; and his great grandchildren, Etive Winter and Maggie June. In addition to his wife, parents & siblings, he is predeceased by his beloved son Bobby Ward.

Arrangements- Visitation will be held on Friday, September 19th from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Buckmiller Ford Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Ave., Naugatuck. On Saturday morning, his funeral procession will proceed from the funeral home at 9 am to St. Francis Church for a Mass of Catholic Burial at 9:30am. Committal will follow in St. James Cemetery. For online condolences, or to share a photo or a story, please visit www.fordfh.com. In lieu of flowers, please take a friend or loved one out to breakfast.