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A Campus Remembers Ben Ward

Ben Ward service

Martavius Parrish, a senior and the assistant music director of the male a cappella group Pitchforks, sings with his fellow members at a reception honoring the late Duke philosophy professor Ben Ward in Penn Pavilion Saturday. Ward, a classically trained pianist and the Pitchforks' advisor, died Dec. 14 after a long battle with colon cancer.

At the reception, 17 speakers paid tribute to Ward's involvement across a spectrum of Duke and Durham community life. The speakers included Patrice Nelson, executive director of Urban Ministries; Scott Strickland, Durham Bulls head groundskeeper; Anthony Kelley, director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Music; Sue Wasiolek, dean of students, and President Richard Brodhead.

One alumnus, Sean-Patrick Oswald '11, a member of the track and field team, told of meeting Ward for the first time in a parking lot as Oswald was packing up for the summer during his sophomore year. Ward offered to store Oswald's boxes for him during the break and later became the faculty mentor for the track team.

"Ben took the idea of caring for his students to an entirely different level," Oswald said. "While our track team was just one of dozens of groups Ben was actively involved with all at once, it took me months of visiting before I realized there was anyone else that had his attention."

The reception followed a memorial service in Duke Chapel attended by about 300 people and featured songs and tributes from alumni, faculty, administrators and community members.

Photo by Christina Holder/Duke Today

Ben Ward Service