Stanley Monroe Ward

Stanley Monroe Ward passed away on Sunday, March 10, 2024, surrounded by his loving family and his loyal dog, Baxter. During his life, he advocated for numerous causes and was a loyal and trusted friend to many. None of his accomplishments rivaled his devotion to God and the love of his life, the former Gayle Perkins.

Stan was an outstanding athlete at Stillwater High School and was recruited by Bud Wilkinson to play football for the Sooners at the University of Oklahoma. He forged enduring friendships with his Beta Theta Pi brothers during his time there. After numerous injuries on the football field, he returned to Oklahoma State University where he received a Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship and completed his bachelor's and master’s degrees in political science. He also served as a Ford Foundation Scholar under the legendary J.D. McCarty.

Stan attended the University of Oklahoma Law School where he was selected as a member of the Law Review and the Order of the Coif and served as president of his law school class. After receiving his law degree, Stan, Gayle, and their two toddlers, Marshall and Amy, traveled to Downey, California, where he joined the law firm of Treadway and Brandmeyer. He immediately became active in the Downey business community and sat on the Board of Directors of the Downey Community Hospital. Gayle and Stan made lifelong friends with members and wives of the Downey Kiwanis Club, which he served as president.

In 1978, Stan and his family returned to his beloved Oklahoma after accepting the position of Legal Counsel under the leadership of Bill Banowsky. He proudly served as a member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents.

Soon after the move to Oklahoma, Gayle and Stan adopted their daughter, Stacy. Gayle and Stan built their new family home in the countryside of Noble. They have enjoyed the beauty of their land for over 40 years. Stan lovingly cared for his farm animals and was a steward of the land. He even loved the dandelions! His happiest moments were riding his John Deere tractor through the pastures of Winward Farm.

Notwithstanding Stan’s brilliance on the gridiron, as OU Counsel, in the courtroom, and as a public interest advocate, his crowning achievements were his devotion to Gayle and family, to his Christian God, to his friends, and to all who came to him in need of advice. The Friendship Sunday School class at McFarlin Methodist Church enjoyed Stan’s Sunday school lessons and Christian-themed plays he penned for over twenty-five years. Stan’s recipe for living is summed up by his motto and moral code: “Love God, Love Others, Forgive Others, Follow the Golden Rule.”

In addition to Gayle, Stan is survived by his children, Marshall and Crystal Ward of Sherman, Texas; Amy and Jeffrey Seamans of Norman; and Stacy and Chad Pelander of Denver, Colorado; seven grandchildren, Matthew Seamans of Norman; Andrew Seamans of Noble; Dr. Katie Gayle Strachan of Houston; John Ward, a senior at Oklahoma State; Katherine Chesney of Edmond; Holly and Liam Pelander of Denver; a great-granddaughter, Emma Seamans of Norman; and two great-grandsons, Ezra and Charlie Chesney of Edmond; and Stan’s nephew, Cleveland County Judge Thad Balkman. Stan was preceded in death by his parents, Marianna and Glenn Ward of Stillwater, and his beloved sister, Sonya Ward Balkman.

A memorial and celebration of Stan’s life will be held Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at McFarlin United Methodist Church in Norman.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Wildcare at wildcareoklahoma.org or the Amyloidosis Research Consortium at arci.org.