Lewis Wendell Ward was born on 8th June, 1943, the eighth of 12 children, to George and Fredrica Ward in Cox Village, Gingerland, Nevis.

He attained the Seventh Standard Certificate from the Gingerland Secondary School, and was recruited to become a teacher.  He decided to migrate to St. Croix, USVI at age 17 and a few months later moved to Tortola, BVI.  His first employment was with the Pauling Company, followed by the BVI Electricity Corporation as a meter reader before working on the construction of the Little Dix Bay Hotel under the supervision of the late Joseph “Joe” Black.

He attended a trade school in Puerto Rico where he received his diploma in Refrigeration, Air Condition and Electrical Contracting. Those skills would set the stage for a successful career: working with several key projects in the Virgin Islands: including the Biras Creek Hotel, homes at Great Camanoe, Peebles Hospital, Central Administration Building, Social Security Building, BVI High School, Rhymer’s Hotel, Maria’s by the Sea Hotel, family home of Mr. Andrell Smith and more.

Ward’s Electrical Services Ltd. was registered in 1967, around the same time he also became a registered electrician in the British Virgin Islands.  On the urging of electricians Mr. Ernest “Chinko” Evans and Mr. Allen Brewley, he expanded his company to include a small retail store in electrical fittings on the lower floor of his residence in Baugher’s Bay.  Messrs. Evans and Brewley were his first two customers and remained faithful until they retired from the electrical business. Seizing an opportunity to supply the demand, he expanded the store and moved to leased land (the current location of One Mart) with his cousin, Percy Williams, before securing land in the early 1980s on Wickham’s Cay 1 to construct what would be the first commercial building on the ‘Cay’ and final home of Ward’s Electrical Services Ltd. Selling the full complement of electrical appliances and electrical fittings. It became the main store on Tortola for electrical fittings and appliances for close to 20 years.

His company expanded to Nevis, which positioned him to work in St. Kitts on the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank building, the expansion of the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport and the recently constructed Nevis Performing Arts Centre.

He had built a reputation as being an excellent refrigeration, air conditioning technician and electrician and residents did not mind waiting up to two weeks for him to take a boat to Anegada.  This was also the case as businessman Mr. Albert Lake of Anguilla would wait up to three weeks for him to travel there to repair his refrigerators/coolers.  It was common for Mr. Ward to journey to Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Mosquito Island, Great Camanoe and Jost Van Dyke to make electrical and refrigeration repairs and/or to install air conditioners or electrical fittings.

Wendell became gravely ill in 2009.  The Lord restored him and he had the opportunity to accept Jesus as his personal Saviour. He worked hard to provide for his family through the good and bad times.  He is lovingly remembered by his widow Heather; children, including Sandra Ward, Karen Ward Galloway, Keithley Liburd Ward and Khadija Liburd.

From:
The BVI Beacon, Thursday December 5th, 2013: 6.

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