Pat "Weird" Ward
BY Staff Reports
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
2/19/13 at 5:19 AM
From 1959 to 1987, Pat “Weird” Ward ensured that learning chemistry at Tulsa’s East Central High School was unique—in fact, his former students agree that his class was unlike any other they had ever experienced. Few have forgotten the clever nickname Ward bestowed upon them or the way he changed their lives. While even the best students may have long forgotten what they memorized for Interrogations (pop quizzes) and Days of Judgment (major exams), most retained the basics of chemistry for a lifetime, simply because Ward made certain every lecture was intriguing, tied to reality, and just enough “off kilter” to keep his students a bit afraid of the odd fate they might endure if they didn’t pay attention. Pat was born October 10, 1936 in Lindsay, OK to Raymond Andrew and Margaret Bell (Harris) Ward. He passed away on February 13, 2013 in Tulsa, OK at the age of 76. Pat’s formal education began with eight years in a two-room country school in Southern Oklahoma where his mother and father were the only teachers—each instructing four grades per room. After attending high school in Lindsay, he spent two years at Murray State College on a football scholarship before venturing to OSU to follow in his parents’ footsteps. After obtaining his bachelors and masters degrees, he began teaching at East Central High School in the fall of 1959, earning a starting salary of $325 per month, thanks to his advanced degree. For seven years, he taught physics, chemistry and general science, but as the school grew his focus became chemistry. In fact, after a few years, his reputation for classroom antics was undoubtedly the reason so many students enrolled in a course teens typically avoid. It wasn’t just his jovial, offbeat sense of humor or the variety of slightly strange quotes on his blackboard (like “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know…”) that made Pat Ward so memorable to his students. From the bizarre collection of items that decorated his room (many gifts from former students) to feeding them cookies out of a bedpan; Ward ensured that walking into the chemistry lab was a step into a slightly altered reality—a place where learning was interesting and unpredictable. While some students will remember “Elom,” the charismatic mascot (whose name is “mole” spelled backward) keeping a watchful eye over the craziness; others will recall the care and feeding of “The Weird Duck.” Most of all, his students will remember Ward’s genuine and generous spirit. With them he shared his unique view of the world; his passion for science, and even his spare time by sponsoring the “Fellowship of Heathen Chemists” – a chemistry club with its own logo, T-shirts and rather bizarre initiation rites. It should be noted that Ward was always quick to point out that the use of the word “heathen” simply referred to students being unenlightened about the wonders of chemistry. One thing is certain: Ward was proud of his students. Both during his career, and throughout his retirement, their love and thanks never failed to make him chuckle. His legacy as the “Odd-Father” of so many “wayward children” will continue through a website created by his former students as both a tribute to their “Ol’ buddy” and a place where East Central alumni stay in touch. Packed with stories, pictures, and “Wardisms,” www.weirdward.net is a fascinating, irresistible look at the past and how one man’s quirks have the lasting power to make people smile. He is survived by his sister, Louanne Trueblood of Edmond; nephew, Lance Ward and wife Jeni of Edmond; niece, Laura Pope and husband Matt of Marlborough, MA; greatnephews, Kyle Ward and Landon Ward; two great-nieces, Haley Ward and Zoe Pope, and many other relatives and friends. In lieu of flowers, Mr. Ward asked that donations be made to the Patrick, Margaret and R.A. Ward Endowed Scholarship Fund through the OSU Foundation, P.O. Box 1749, Stillwater, OK 74076. A gathering of former students is planned to celebrate the life of Raymond Patrick “Pat” “Weird” Ward on February 23, 2013, from 2 to 4 pm, at the John L. Rucker Warehouse at 1227 S. Detroit Avenue in Tulsa. If you are interested in attending please email weirdwardchemistry@gmail.com. Arrangements and services were entrusted to Johnson Funeral Home, Sperry. Online condolences to the family can be made at johnsonfhsperry.com This obituary was published in the Tulsa World on 2/19/2013.
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