Judy Ward of Gwynn’s Island, who died last June following a prolonged battle with cancer, touched many lives in her 65 years—from her friends and family, to her fellow volunteers on the county’s rescue squad, co-workers at the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office, and the fans of her music.

And now some of those friends are coming together to help others in Ward’s memory.

The Mathews Volunteer Rescue Squad, for which she volunteered for nearly a quarter of a century, has chosen to honor her memory by establishing a scholarship in her name. Co-workers at the sheriff’s office, where Ward worked as a dispatcher, contributed to the scholarship this year rather than exchanging Christmas gifts with each other.

The Judy Ward Scholarship will be awarded annually beginning this year to a graduating Mathews High School senior who has demonstrated proficiency in or a love for music and who plans to pursue at least a minor in music at the college level. The minimum award will be $1,000, said Lindy Hatch, Ward’s long-time friend, fellow volunteer and co-worker.

The public is invited to contribute to the fund by making a check payable to the MVRS Judy Ward Scholarship Fund and mailing it
c/o Chesapeake Bank, P.O. Box 1078, Mathews, Va. 23109.

Singing career

Hatch said that Ward’s lifetime love of music is what inspired the scholarship. Ward was a member of the band when she attended Mathews High School in the 1960s, but after graduation it was her mellow voice and expertise on the guitar that brought her local and regional fame.

Ward played and sang with a number of individuals and groups, performing locally at the Islander Motel and Restaurant, in Middlesex at Taylor’s Restaurant, on the Peninsula at the Strawberry Banks Motel, and at various night clubs and other performance venues throughout the area. She was often in demand for weddings, funerals and other special occasions.

Local residents Kim Person, John Lee Callis and David Shuber all partnered with Ward at various times over the years, but she was perhaps best known for being part of the duo "George and Judy." Her partner, George Grove, went on to become a member of the Kingston Trio.

An accomplished songwriter who won a national award for a hymn she wrote, Ward became a playwright, as well, when she penned the patriotic "Crickets on a Hill." The musical retelling of the Revolutionary War Battle of Cricket Hill performed to sell-out crowds as part of Mathews County’s celebration of the nation’s bicentennial in 1976.

The last time Ward performed, said Hatch, was at a Christmas get-together at Gwynn’s Island Civic League in 2009.

Rescue squad

Ward was one of the most devoted members Mathews Volunteer Rescue Squad ever had, said Hatch, adding that Ward’s loyalties were to "God, family and the rescue squad, in that order."

An EMT-Intermediate who provided advanced life support to patients, Ward didn’t limit her contribution to simply handling ambulance calls. Over the years, she served on the board of directors, was a training officer, was instrumental in forming the dive team, and served on the squad auxiliary.

Her crowning achievement, however, was conceiving of, developing and directing the squad’s Camp Rescue program for children. The long-lasting program earned Ward a Virginia EMT of the Year Award as well as second place in the National EMT of the Year competition.

Ward was MVRS’s Squad Person of the Year four times, including a posthumous recognition in 2010.

"She always answered calls when she was able, no matter what time of day or night," said Hatch, adding that when Ward became too ill with cancer to continue going on calls, it upset her.

"We went on many a call together," said Hatch, "and we always got along. She was a very giving, compassionate person and a good friend."

Ward worked with Hatch for a dozen years painting houses, and Hatch said she was "a go-getter."

"I had to slow her down a little bit," said Hatch with a laugh.

But it was her job as a dispatcher at the Mathews Sheriff’s Office that Ward found most satisfying because it "gave her another chance to help people."

Sheriff’s office

Sheriff Danny Howlett described Ward as "one of those invaluable employees" who worked tirelessly, regardless of circumstances.

"If Judy called in sick, you knew she was sick," said Howlett. "And she never complained."

Ward was always calm and collected on the telephone and the radio, said Howlett.

"She handled probably some of the worst calls we had, and she always handled them with professionalism," he said. "She never lost her grip on calls."

Ward was intimately familiar with the roads and neighborhoods in Mathews, said Howlett, and invariably gave good directions to units that were searching for homes. In addition, "she was always willing to help somebody."

Howlett said that a box wrapped up like a Christmas present will sit in the sheriff’s office until Jan. 25 to give employees, many with young children, a "chance to get past Christmas" so they can donate to the Judy Ward Scholarship Fund. The public is welcome to donate through the Sheriff’s Office, as well, he said, by sending a contribution to the MVRS Judy Ward Scholarship Fund, c/o Mathews County Sheriff’s Office, P.O. Box 190, Mathews, Va. 23109.