‘Cheeky’ grandpa shared a love of trains with granddaughter
HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to a grandfather from Bingham who died after contracting coronavirus.
Derek Ward passed away at the age of 87 on March 4.
The retired railway station supervisor had underlying health conditions.
Recalling some of her memories with her grandpa, who loved trains, Katie Ford, 27, said: “His favourite was the Mallard. He liked the Flying Scotsman and Sir Nigel Gresley as well.
“We went to the York Railway Museum and he was constantly going on about how much he loved those trains. When I was little as well I can remember we went on a Hunchback of Notre Dame train that was at Nottingham – that was where our mutual love of trains started to develop.”
Miss Ford, who lives in Bingham and works for the NHS, described Mr Ward as “very cheeky but very stubborn”.
“We had a really lovely bond and obviously a lot of people my age don’t have grandparents, so it was really nice to have that longer time with him as well.”
Mr Ward, whose wife Marj died at the age of 82 in 2019, had COPD and anaemia. His primary cause of death was listed as Covid-pneumonia.
When the coronavirus restrictions were relaxed on Christmas Day, Miss Ford spent time with her partner Daniel Forsyth and his family, while the rest of her side of the family were with her grandpa.
“It broke me, it’s really hit me,” said Miss Ford. “It’s just been a tough year and I feel like we couldn’t have made the memories that I wanted to make with him.
“At Christmas, the rest of my family got to spend time with him and I didn’t. I did it on the basis that we’d have next Christmas. Obviously, we don’t. So it does make you feel very angry but it absolutely broke me as a person.”
Mr Ward’s daughter Angela Ford, 55, mum to Katie and son Sam, 16, described her dad’s care at the City Hospital as “amazing”, saying: “I can’t fault them whatsoever.”
The medical secretary, of Bingham, added: “He was very family-orientated, he always had two jobs when we were growing up. He was a very hands-on grandad.”
Mrs Ford – wife to Gary, 57 – said her dad used to be a football referee.
Mr Ward also leaves behind his son Phillip Ward, 53, and his side of the family.
Mr Ward’s funeral will take place on April 16 at Gedling Crematorium.