ROBERT (BOB) GORDON WARD

On June 29, 2011, Bob Ward passed on, leaving behind his soulmate of 41 years, Elda; daughter, Alix; son, Jesse; granddaughter, Lily; and father, Al.
Bob’s mother, Ollie, passed away last year and he also was predeceased by his brother, Rick.
Described as “a wonderful, graceful, charming, caring man,” Bob truly understood and cared about social justice issues and making positive change in the world.
Bob was born in Calgary, Alta. and lived in many different provinces in Canada as he was growing up. Bob and Elda were teenagers when they met in Saskatoon, Sask. and became best friends and high school sweethearts in the 1960s.
Throughout their married life, they lived and worked in five provinces and two territories in Canada, and also spent two years in the Republic of Vanuatu in
the South Pacific as CUSO volunteers.
Their last eight years were spent in Edmonton, where their granddaughter, Lily, the apple of Bob’s eye, was born in 2008.
Bob obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Saskatchewan and attended a Masters in International Affairs program at Carleton University in Ottawa. He worked for the Council of Yukon Indians, establishing the Yukon Indian Development Corporation, Dana Naye Ventures, Yukon Indian River Timber, and the Kaska Development Corporation.
 He started consulting in 1989 and worked for several Yukon First Nations, including the Kaska in Watson Lake and Liard, the Teslin Tlingit Council, Champagne-Aishihik, and the Atlin Lake First Nations.
He was passionate about the struggles of aboriginal people.
Later, Bob became the executive director of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta. He also spent six years volunteering as chair of CUSO, and later on, as a co-chair of CUSO-VSO.
From 2007 until his passing, Bob headed up the Social Enterprise Fund of the Edmonton Community Foundation. This position drew on Bob’s strongest qualities—integrity, loyalty, honesty, dedication, and commitment. Despite its failure in the end to sustain his life, he had a very big heart and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
To respect Bob’s wishes, a formal funeral will not be held. Instead, a celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, in memoriam donations may be made to the newly-established Bob Ward Memorial Fund, to support the social enterprise work he so strongly enabled in our community, c/o Edmonton Community Foundation, 9910-103 Street NW, Edmonton, Alta., T5K 2V7.
Online condolences may be offered at www.serenity.ca
“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
“And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
“Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
“And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”
(Excerpt from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran).