On September 21, 2020, Dr. Charles Alton (“C.A.”) Ward was, by the grace of God, set free.
C.A. was born in rural Polk County Arkansas, on December 17, 1931 to James Burl Ward and Fanny Elizabeth Swindler. He was one of nine children who lived to adulthood. As a child his family moved to White Oak, Texas, where his father had a job in the Texas oilfields. He attended high school in the White Oak school system and was accepted to Stephen F. Austin State University where he met the love of his life, Dorothy Fay Jackson.
C.A. and Dorothy were married in 1952 at her family home in Waco, Texas. They went on to raise a family of four children.
C.A. was awarded both a Bachelor of Music degree and Master of Arts degree with a major in music and a minor in education in 1954 from SFA. Upon graduation he volunteered for military service. He was assigned to the 49th Army Band and toured and played concerts throughout post-war Europe. His memories of that time stayed with him his entire life.
He became a high school band director and later became interested in offering guidance to students regarding their studies and motivations. In that capacity he worked with the Job Corp near San Marcos, Texas, which was a program to help disadvantaged youth.
C.A. returned to school at Baylor University and completed a Doctorate in Educational Psychology in 1972, primarily studying issues related to students’ motivation to learn. He was among the first people to earn such a degree in the State of Texas.
After graduation from Baylor he began working for Del Mar College in the Student Counseling Department. He became the Chair of the Department and retired in 1988.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, his four children, Joyce, Charles Jr., James, and Fay, grandchildren, Jeremy, Cal, Howard, and Dennis, one surviving sibling, Verlin E. Davis, and a large extended family.
He spent the entirety of his professional life serving the educational needs of the people of Texas. In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate you supporting your local students and the teachers who educate them.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 2, 2020 at Seaside Funeral Home Chapel. Inurnment will follow at Seaside Memorial Park.
The service will be streamed live online at www.seasidefuneral.com.
Please consider making a tree donation, as the family would prefer it instead of flowers.
Click here to view a webcast of the service on 10/2/2020 at 09:55 AM, Central Standard Time.
To send flowers
to the family, please visit our floral store.