Larry Ralph Ward
Larry Ralph Ward, 77, is with his Lord and Savior after passing away on March 9, 2022. He was born in Norman, Okla., on May 22, 1944, to Ralph and Velma Ketner Ward.
He was a proud Oklahoma Sooner and spent the first half of his life in Norman. There, he met his wife, Janice, and had sons Mark and Mike, before relocating to Bryant, in 1990.
Larry held a business degree from OU and was the owner of Johnstone Supply in Little Rock until his retirement in 2004. He was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and loved to sing in the choir.
A car guy, Larry could tell you the year, make and model of nearly any vehicle he saw. He made a list recently and discovered he had owned more than 150 cars throughout his life. One of his favorite activities was watching and attending classic car auctions, reminiscing about ones he had at one point or another. He enjoyed washing and taking care of his cars. He always got Janice’s gas for her, and he made sure his grandsons knew how to change their oil and rotate their tires.
Larry also loved being outside. Whether it was hunting and fishing, camping and riding (driving) the boat at Lake Texoma, taking care of his animals in Oklahoma, building something, mowing and bushhogging, or waxing a car, he’d take a day outside over almost anything.
But above all else was Larry’s faith. Throughout his life, Larry served his church and his God however he could. His personal ministry ranged from worship leader to Sunday school teacher to deacon. He was his family’s faith leader, praying before every meal and planting the seeds of faith; he was so proud to see them each grow and serve in their own ways.
Larry believed a close family was a strong family, and left to remember his stories and cherish his memory is his family he loved so much — his wife of 58 years, Janice; sons, Mark (Ramonta) Ward, Michael (Brenda) Ward; grandchildren Tanner and Blake (Austin) Ward; and sister, Kay (Carey) Sherman.
Larry’s family is holding a visitation starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, with a service following at 3 p.m. The services will be held at Immanuel Baptist Church at 501 North Shackleford Road, Little Rock, with Dr. Steven Smith officiating.
Arrangements are by Ashby Funeral Home.
Serving as honorary pallbearers are the members of the John Nelson class at Immanuel. Online guestbook at www.ashbyfuneralhome.com.