thorny64
10-24-2011, 04:12 PM
Buddy Ward passed away around midday today. He was only in his mid 40s and fighting a losing battle with Diabetes and was not his usual jovial self as you would expect. He just went into a hospice Saturday. In the past few weeks he seemed to be mostly concerned about his family, not his health. He wanted it to end. I saw him Friday with another friend. I usually don't visit much on weekends because his family is there a lot and they need their space, and I think he needed visitors during the week. I planned on going this afternoon, really I thought we had a few more days. But we never know how many days we have.
I met Buddy in '87 when he worked at the music store in Jasper, IN. At that time he didn't own it but he might as well have, he sold everyone within a 30 mile radius a Fender, Kramer, Washburn, or Hamer. In fact he sold me my first Fender Strat (and man, he had to work at it hard to do it). Later he bought and ran that music store for a number of years until just a few years ago.
Buddy was something else - no one else like him. What a character in every sense of the word. He was very good guitar player. He spoke with a bit of a twang he brought with him from KY from where he was raised. Not your typical sales person - he was about as big around as he was tall, but he made sure you'd notice him. After his music store was closed, he ran a sound company that specialized in fixing problems with Church PA systems. He had quite the ear and was very talented, fixing all manner of odd sound system issues from people that thought if they could hook up a PA that they could correctly install sound in a Church. So if he didn't win the business initially he often would be called back in to fix the issues left when the design was not done properly by a competitor.
More recently he took parts of his life more seriously. He was more active in Church and had made many friends. He and his wife adopted two kids. A few years ago diabetes took a leg and much of his sight, but after extensive rehab he was getting around. He unfortunately couldn't work like he used to, but he still played guitar (did about a month ago at my house the last time he visited).
So, a guitar player most of you all have never heard of, from a town you probably never heard of had died. But he was a good friend of mine, and a kind soul and is survived by his wife, two sons, and lots of friends that will miss his sense of humor. Buddy, it was a pleasure to know you. Heaven is rockin' for sure!
I met Buddy in '87 when he worked at the music store in Jasper, IN. At that time he didn't own it but he might as well have, he sold everyone within a 30 mile radius a Fender, Kramer, Washburn, or Hamer. In fact he sold me my first Fender Strat (and man, he had to work at it hard to do it). Later he bought and ran that music store for a number of years until just a few years ago.
Buddy was something else - no one else like him. What a character in every sense of the word. He was very good guitar player. He spoke with a bit of a twang he brought with him from KY from where he was raised. Not your typical sales person - he was about as big around as he was tall, but he made sure you'd notice him. After his music store was closed, he ran a sound company that specialized in fixing problems with Church PA systems. He had quite the ear and was very talented, fixing all manner of odd sound system issues from people that thought if they could hook up a PA that they could correctly install sound in a Church. So if he didn't win the business initially he often would be called back in to fix the issues left when the design was not done properly by a competitor.
More recently he took parts of his life more seriously. He was more active in Church and had made many friends. He and his wife adopted two kids. A few years ago diabetes took a leg and much of his sight, but after extensive rehab he was getting around. He unfortunately couldn't work like he used to, but he still played guitar (did about a month ago at my house the last time he visited).
So, a guitar player most of you all have never heard of, from a town you probably never heard of had died. But he was a good friend of mine, and a kind soul and is survived by his wife, two sons, and lots of friends that will miss his sense of humor. Buddy, it was a pleasure to know you. Heaven is rockin' for sure!