CUMBERLAND — William Parker “Bill” Ward, 67, died Aug. 4 surrounded by his family and friends at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House following a severe stroke.

Born Aug. 7, 1943, in Portland, a son of Parker and Barbara (Galloway) Ward, he grew up in Prides Corner, Westbrook, and graduated from Westbrook High School in 1961.

After serving his country during the Vietnam War, he pursued his bachelor’s degree while working nights as a line mechanic at a high-tech company in Santa Clara, Calif. He received a bachelor’s degree and eventually a master’s degree in business from the University of San Francisco.

Over the years he held positions at Siliconix, Applied Materials, Signetics, Varian Associates, and was the worldwide CEO of Fairchild Technologies until retiring from the corporate world. An extremely successful and admired businessman, he enjoyed coaching and mentoring others.

Since his retirement he has occupied his time as an enterprising small business owner in Cumberland, in addition to spoiling his grandchildren.

During his free time he pursued many hobbies and interests, including collecting, restoring and trading jukeboxes, slot machines and tractors; raising, boarding, and training horses and draft horses; providing relief milking assistance to local dairy farmers; serving on the Cumberland Planning Board; and inventing new products.

Among his inventions, he was particularly proud of the Flexpoint Tractor Hitch for which he held a U.S. Patent and marketed throughout the country and Canada.

He had lifelong agricultural roots, from serving as a veterinarian’s assistant at Westbrook Animal Hospital in his youth, to owning a horse ranch in California where he and his wife boarded horses. Known as a horse whisperer, he could coax horses into letting him ride on their backs even when they had never been ridden before.

He was a 32 degree Mason and a member of Charity Jarman Lodge of Los Gatos, Calif., the Scottish Rite, and the Cumberland Lions Club.

Survived are his loving wife of nearly 50 years, Norene Zahares Ward; his beloved daughter, Jennifer Ward Horenziak, her husband, Steve Horenziak, and their children, Juliet and William; four siblings, Barbara Billadeau and husband George of Florida, Dennis Ward and wife Truda of Texas, Sheila Slife and husband Jimmy of Texas, and Candice Ward and husband Steve Bennett of California; brothers-in-law and their spouses, Wayne and Gail Zahares of New Hampshire, Mike and Patty Zahares of California; and a large extended family and many friends.

A funeral service was held Aug. 9 at North Yarmouth Congregational Church. Burial followed at Moss Side Cemetery in Cumberland.

Arrangements are by Lindquist Funeral Home, One Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth.

Please visit lindquistfuneralhome.com to view a video collage of his life and to share your condolences, memories and tributes with his family.

Memorial donations may be made to the Town of Cumberland Veteran’s Monument, 290 Tuttle Rd., Cumberland, ME 04021, or participate in the Veteran’s Monument Golf Tournament at Val Halla on Thursday, Aug. 25. Please contact Brian for more information at 829-2208.

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