Earl Gene Ward Jr., age 49, of Rochester, passed away quietly on Monday, May 4, 2020, in Fort Wayne’s Lutheran Hospital.
The son of Earl Ward Sr. and Judy Ann Duty Ward, Earl grew up in the Warsaw area and was a graduate of Warsaw Community High School. He was a metal fabricator by trade and was the owner of Pioneer Metal Works. He was also the co-owner of Should’ve Paid Repossession, which he operated with his wife, Angela.
Earl was a motorcycle rider and enthusiast and was a longtime member of both ABATE and the Patriot Guard Riders. He loved time spent on his motorcycle, watching motorcycle races and wrenching on motorcycles or anything with an engine. He was a member of the Sons of the American Legion and formerly of the Eagles (FOE). He enjoyed fishing, swap meets, loved time spent with his family and loved anything to do with guns.
On May 23, 1998, Earl’s life forever changed when he was married to Angela Prater, whom he had dated for more than eight years prior. The two shared many interests, the greatest of which was a love for family.
Their family includes Earl’s brother, Mike (Tina) Ward; parents, Earl Sr. and Ann Ward; niece, Haley (Chris Joy) Ward; nephew, Mikey Ward (Destini Carpenter); great-niece, Maddie; and their pets: cat, Bootsie; and dog, Roscoe. Also surviving are maternal uncle, Larry (Nancy) Duty; paternal aunts, Ruby Spencer and Helen Hurd; paternal uncles, Cecil “Tip” (Katie) Ward and Bill Ward; numerous cousins including one special cousin, Terry Spencer; brother-in-law, Samuel (Sarah) Prater; and good friends, including John Tombaugh, Brent (Staci) Reed, Russ Bauer, Pat Brase and Nicole Helfrich.
He was preceded in passing by maternal grandparents, Russell and Georgina Duty; paternal grandparents, Cecil and Northie Ward; and uncles, Billy Fannin and Dan (Nora) Ward.
Friends may join family for a time of visitation on Friday, May 8 from 3 to 8 p.m. In accordance with state and local guidelines, it is requested that no more than 25 persons attend the visitation at one time and that those in attendance limit their contact and are mindful of personal space. A Life Celebration® service will be held on Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m. at Titus Funeral Home with Pastor John Lowe officiating. Burial will follow in Claypool Cemetery.
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Memorials to the food pantry of Ann and Earl Ward Sr. Nonperishable items will be collected at the funeral home. Monetary gifts may be given directly to Dallas or placed in the drop box at the service.
