Preston Ray "Buddy" Ward

Preston Ray “Buddy” Ward, 94 of Jefferson, Texas passed from this life on May 20, 2024 in Mont Belvieu, Texas.  

Preston was born on March 7, 1930, in Baytown.  After serving in the Navy for four years, he worked for Humble Oil and Refining Company (Exxon) for 10 years, then worked for Ohmstead in Pasadena, Texas where he was a loyal employee for 25 years. He took great pride in his time there and often went back to visit during his retirement, walking in as though he had never left.  Upon retirement, he and the love of his life for 37 years, Fran moved to the land he dearly loved in the East Texas Piney Woods of Jefferson, Texas where he spent the last 36 years.  

Buddy enjoyed loving on his dogs and was a true lover of the outdoors. He spent thousands of hours hunting, fishing, tending to his garden, riding around in the woods on his Honda, bailing hay, tending his numerous farm critters, (especially his Brahman heifer, Flopsy), and curing meat in his smokehouse.  He felt that eating a fresh tomato from his garden was better than winning the lottery.  He also dearly loved his family and friends, telling his life stories, and Blue Bell vanilla ice cream with cookies.

He is survived by his daughters, Diane Estrada of Jefferson, Fawn Green and husband David of Mont Belvieu, and Sara Foglemen and husband Ronnie of Goldthwaite, grandaughters Aleece Davis and husband Ryan of Austin, Konnette Koen of Waco, Kathleen Norman and husband Ethan of Mont Belvieu, and six great-grandchildren Micah, Caleb, Grant and Audra Koen, Sawyer King and Scout Norman with a seventh (another boy) due in September.   

Buddy was preceded in death by his wife, Fran, parents Stell Ward and Lenora Ward, mother Bertha Ward, sister Bernice Hart, nieces Babs and Gail Hart, and son-in-law Frank Estrada.

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