Derek William Henry Ward

Derek William Henry Ward, age 96, recent resident of Lake Geneva, WI previously of Delavan, WI and Rockford, IL passed away on April 21, 2023. Derek was born in Leeds, England on February 8, 1927, son to the late William and Lillian (Cooney) Ward. He was married to the late Eileen (Jaques) on December 7, 1950 in Brighton, England. Eileen preceded him in death on June 14, 2022. Derek served in the Royal Navy during World War II. He was aboard the battleships Revenge and the Duke of York serving as an AA gunner and minesweeper. Twice during the war, the submarine he was on was sunk, once on a torpedo recovery vessel. On D-Day, he swept mines off the beaches, and later tested German destroyers. Derek emigrated to the United States in 1953, first to Chicago, IL where he found a job selling cars. Soon, Derek moved his family to Rockford, IL where he took a position as Cadillac Sales Manager at Humphrey Cadillac and Oldsmobile. He quickly became a household name in Rockford, as the voice and face of the company for their TV commercials. In his spare time, Derek bred champion field trial Beagles out of his kennel, Playboy Beagles. In 1976, Derek bought Crest Chevrolet Oldsmobile Cadillac in Delavan, WI and moved with his wife to Delavan Lake. Derek enjoyed fishing, joined the Rockford Chapter of Muskies, Inc. and quickly became one of the top 100 Musky fishermen in the US. In retirement, Derek spent the majority of summer and fall fishing at Lake of the Woods, Canada occasionally serving as a guide for Totem Lodge and Wiley Point. Derek and his wife, Eileen enjoyed cruising the globe, and cheering for their grandson, Ian, at numerous track meets, baseball games and soccer matches. Derek is survived by his two sons, Derek Ward, Jr.(Lea) and Michael J. Ward (Tonia), and grandchild, Ian Michael Ward. He will be sorely missed by his family and friends. Private family services were held at the Christ Episcopal Church in Delavan, WI. Lazarczyk Family Funeral Homes of Delavan, WI is proudly serving the Ward family. Service Details. Interment Location Christ Episcopal Church - Delavan Address 503 E. Walworth Ave DELAVAN, WI 53115