Some people left Dr. Ward’s exam room with new glasses. Others left a restaurant with a compliment and a $2 bill — a small delight he loved to slip into the world. But Owensboro gained something far greater: a Christmas Parade. Prior to his death last weekend, Dr. H. Andrew Ward spent more than four decades shaping one of the city’s most enduring traditions, turning a loose procession into the true start of the holiday season.
Ward, who died at age 85 on October 11, 2025, never sought recognition. According to his family, he preferred when people assumed the parade was run by the City or County — a sign, to him, that it belonged fully to the community rather than to any one person.
His parade involvement began in 1974, a year after he and his wife Jeannette returned to Owensboro in 1973 and he joined the Owensboro Jaycees. At the time, the parade had little formal structure.
“In those early years, people just showed up if they wanted to be in it,” his daughter, Dr. Tricia Adams, said Monday. “There was no registration, no scoring — you brought a truck bed or a float and lined up that morning.”
Ward believed it could be something more. Jeannette said he developed the first formal judging score sheets with criteria for construction and creativity, recruiting out-of-town judges to ensure fairness. He encouraged schools, churches, and civic groups to take pride in their entries. Under his guidance, the parade shifted from a morning event to a nighttime procession illuminated by lights — an idea sparked after he and Jeannette attended another city’s evening parade.
“We saw all the lights and said, ‘Oh my goodness, this is incredible,’” Jeannette said. “He wanted Owensboro to have that same magic.”
The parade also supported downtown commerce in its earlier years, when the route ran near 2nd Street shops.
“He always loved the idea that this was something free, something anyone could enjoy,” Adams said. “He believed a small group of volunteers could give the whole city a gift.”
As the parade grew and moved to Frederica Street, so did the logistical challenges. About 15 years ago, Ward supported returning the route from Frederica Street to 2nd Street due to safety concerns at railroad crossings.
Ward stayed meticulous behind the scenes. After each parade, he personally delivered winners’ lists to the newspaper and certificates to winning groups. He also brought bouquets for honored spouses and grand marshals.
“He never looked for praise,” Adams said. “He just cared that it was done right.”
Declining health, particularly kidney disease, eventually forced him to step away from the parade. Being named Honorary Grand Marshal in 2022 was deeply meaningful, marking the first time he allowed the parade to look back at him.
Longtime board volunteer Jane Head said Ward’s influence defined the parade’s identity.
“He felt the community deserved a Christmas parade each year and took pleasure in seeing the beaming faces of children as they anxiously waited for the whistle that signaled the start of the parade,” she said. “In 2022, when he served as Honorary Grand Marshal, he was the one smiling the most.”
Outside of the parade, Ward’s life reflected the same philosophy of service. He served in the military before opening his optometric practice in 1973. He later welcomed colleague and fellow Air Force veteran Dr. Roger Jones, and eventually his daughter, into what became Advantage Eye Care. He also traveled on mission trips and participated in civic and church work.
“He was always the voice of reason,” Jeannette said. “Always looking for a way to serve — his country, his patients, his church, his community.”
His humor remained constant. Jeannette recalled frequent bank trips for $2 bills.
“The tellers knew if they had any $2 bills, I was taking them,” she said. “At restaurants, he would compliment the waitress, often starting with something like, ‘I like your glasses, I’m an eye doctor.’ Then he’d leave a normal tip plus a $2 bill. Many of them told him their kids collected them; he enjoyed that every time.”
Their 57-year marriage, Jeannette said, was full of unexpected turns.
“We started as teachers, and one day he announced he was going back to school to be an optometrist,” she said. “We just said, ‘Let’s try it.’ That was our life — new things, new people, new ways to serve.”
Some people walked away from Ward with better vision. Others with a joke. A few with a $2 bill. But Owensboro walked away with a parade.
Ward and Jeannette were married for 57 years. Their children and spouses are Drs. Nikie and John Walker, Drs. Patricia and John Adams, Greg and Cate Ward, and Brenton Ward. He is also survived by seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be held October 13 from 3-7 p.m. and October 14 from 9-9:30 a.m. at James H. Davis Funeral Home, 3009 Frederica Street. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. October 15 at Blessed Mother Catholic Church, 601 East 23rd Street, with burial in St. Alphonsus Cemetery, 7925 Highway 500.
