John M. Ward

Reverend John M. Ward

John Mark Ward’s faith became sight on July 11, 2026, at his home in Greenville, VA. He was born on December 21, 1948, in Hartsville South Carolina to Wright J. and (Mildred) June Ward. John was raised on dairy farms in Hartford County, Maryland and attended local schools. He attended Harford Community College and Eastern Christian College before transferring to Milligan College where he graduated in 1970. He then served as a teacher in Havre-de-Grace Maryland. His life changed when he went to Grundy, Virginia and served as a teacher at Mountain Mission School. There he met a red-headed 5th grade teacher from Ohio named Mariellen Roberts. They were married in September 1976. In 1975, John relocated to assist his parents in establishing a dairy farm in Augusta County as they returned to their native Virginia. Shortly after marrying Mariellen, he responded to a ministerial call he had at eleven years of age and established Raphine Christian Church on October 19th, 1976. John served as the minister of Raphine Christian for the forty-nine plus years positively impacting thousands. The church was known for programs like Christmas Alive which provided gifts to children who may not have received them otherwise. An outreach effort every year to the homeless on the streets of Washington D.C. in the winter and an award-winning Vacation Bible School. John supplemented his ministerial work in banking and mortgage lending at Farm Credit in Augusta and Rockbridge County. However, his biggest impact may have been in the classroom teaching English at Riverheads High School to students in the late 1970s and again from 2002 to 2013. His love of children led John to service as the Riverheads district representative on the Augusta County School board starting in 2015. He served three terms on the board and loved that it allowed him to support his community. He was very proud that the Riverheads Elementary relocation occurred during his time on the board and in 2024 he saw the fruition of years of hard work with the opening of the Riverheads Middle School Riverheads Middle School now presents the John and Mari Ward Award to a graduating 8th grader who excels not just in the classroom but also demonstrates a care for others and a commitment to service. With all his many accomplishments he remained most proud of his three sons, his daughters-in-law, three foster children and eight grandchildren. He is survived by his sons Elijah (Jennifer) of Staunton, VA, Micah (Amy) of Charlotte, NC, and Jordan (Jazmyn) of Mosely, VA; Two foster sons, Josh Dudley and Adam Mays; his grandsons, Samuel Mark, John Warner, Matthew John, Cameron Micah, and Zuriel Ruben; his granddaughters, Grace Elizabeth, Kira Williams, and Iris Mercer; his brothers, Avery Ward (Jane) and Jeffery Ward (Kathryn); his brother-in-law, Howard Roberts, his sister-in-law, Deborah (David) Reynal; numerous nieces, nephews, and countless friends as well as the church body at Raphine Christian. He was preceded in death by his wife Mariellen, his parents, and a foster daughter, SGT Caryn Reynal in Afghanistan in 2013. Special thanks to Dana Cash for her years of friendship and love. Great appreciation to Shenandoah Hospice for outstanding care, teams at Augusta Health and UVA particularly Dr. Amani Politano and the loving Riverheads community for acts of love and support. The family will receive guests from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, July 17th, 2026, at Raphine Christian Church in Greenville, VA. A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, July 18, 2026, in the Cecil Layman Auditorium at Riverheads High School. Arrangements are being handled by Henry Funeral Home in Staunton. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider donating to the Raphine Christian Church (P.O. Box 10, Greenville, Va. 24440), Riverheads Weekday Religious Education Program (P.O. Box 352, Greenville, VA 24440), or to Mountain Mission School (1760 Edgewater Drive, Grundy, VA 24614). Any donations sent to Raphine Christian Church will immediately be sent to the designated ministry.