He was born and raised in East Atlanta as the youngest child of Horis A. and Sara Debardlaben Ward.  He grew up as a boy in the Candler-Glenwood neighborhood attending East Lake Elementary School and Murphy High School.  He and his family later moved and he graduated from Southwest Dekalb High School in 1966.  Richard then went to Waco, TX to Baylor University where he graduated in 1970.  While in Waco, Richard met Daphene Whitaker and married her in 1968.  They came home to Atlanta where Richard began working in his father’s funeral business, Horis A. Ward, Inc.  He and Daphene had three sons, Scot, Jeremy and Kurt that were all raised in Dekalb County and graduated from Lithonia High School.  Richard was a member and past president of the South Dekalb Rotary club for many years.  He and his family were also active members of Mt. Carmel Christian Church where he taught the10th Grade Sunday School Class for over 20 years.  He served as a deacon, elder and on many committees while attending Mt. Carmel.  Richard and his brother sold the Horis Ward Funeral Homes and Fairview Memorial Gardens in 1993 to a corporate entity and worked for them until 2005.  In February 2005 he and his oldest son Scot purchased Harry L. White Funeral Home and Green Meadow Memorial Gardens tobegin Scot Ward Funeral Services.  Today Richard and his wife Daphene reside in Braselton, GA and are active members, teachers and past elder at Northview Christian Church in Dacula.  He enjoys playing golf, riding his BMW motorcycle, working at his church, working as a funeral director but most of all being Pops to his 3 granddaughters and 2 grandsons.  He is blessed to have his three sons living nearby.  Kurt is an Attorney in Atlanta, Jeremy is a Dentist in Dacula and Scot is co-owners with Richard in Scot Ward Funeral Services.