Eugene
P. Ward, 58, died February 8, 2006 at his home in Antioch, California
after losing his battle with cancer. He served
in the U.S. Air Force for 8 years. Gene is best known for his walk
across America, touching and meeting many people. He was also a
wilderness survival trainer, traveling across America giving seminars
and clinics to Boy Scouts, youth groups, hunters and even military
personnel. Gene created and produced survival DVDs and made and
assembled personal survival kits marketed through various sporting
goods stores and through his website. He is survived by his loving
wife of 20 years, Ruth (Cooper); his parents, Richard and Barbara
Ward of Asotin, WA; brothers; Michael Ward (Micheline), Larry Ward
(Linda), James Ward (Giselle) of WA; sister, Kathy Meek (Jerry)
of WA; sons, Monte Syrie (Sherry), William Syrie (Susan) of WA;
step-son, Scott Andre (Jennifer) of OH; step-daughter, Jessica
Andre (Mark) of NC, also survived by 11 grandchildren. A private
memorial service was held on February 18, 2006 in Seattle, WA.
Gene
Ward found his niche as a motivational speaker and survival
trainer during
his 1984-85 Walk Across America.
Over the course of this 3,100 mile, 427 day solo trek, Gene
talked to thousands of people interested in learning how to survive
in the outdoors. From his home in the Bay Area of California,
he
operated Survival and Outdoor Safety a business dedicated to
teaching
survival in the outdoors in a simplified and straight forward
approach that dramatically and effectively improved anyone’s survival
chances regardless of their skill level. He realized that beginners
could survive just as easily as a trained professional guide if they
were prepared with a small survival kit. As Gene put it, "Being
prepared cannot be overstated to someone who is about to spend
an unexpected night in the wilderness."
Gene’s speaking appearances were engaging and entertaining
for audiences of all ages. Even the most unruly group of school
children would sit still for Gene's talks on how to use a variety
of simple
tools to survive an unexpected stay in the outdoors.
For his business, Gene drew on a lifetime of rich experience. For
eight years, beginning in 1967, he served as an instructor with the
elite US Air Force global survival training staff. He trained USAF
personnel how to survive in a wide variety of environments, including
arctic, jungle, tropics, desert, sea and mountain.
During his Walk Across America, Gene met and learned from some of
the most recognized names in the survival business: Larry D. Olsen,
Tom Brown, Jr., and Papa Bear Whitmore. Following his national trek,
Gene began working with troubled teens, helping them to reach maturity
through wilderness training and exposure to outdoor survival skills.
During this time, he served as a guide and instructor for the School
of Urban and Wilderness Survival in Southern Idaho and the Circle
S Recovery Ranch for boys and young men in Washington State.
As he met with school, church and business groups, Gene noticed
that more and more people were becoming interested in outdoor
survival and they had little knowledge of what skills or tools
to use, or
where to gain that information. Gene vowed to fill that void.
In 1994, he launched his business: Survival and Outdoor Safety.
The
business fulfilled Gene’s goal to share his life saving
skills with that segment of our society that needs it the most.
Wherever he was asked to speak, Gene shared his experiences
and encouraged people to overcome their fears and pursue their dreams.
Gene's mission is being carried on through his wife Ruth and a staff of highly-trained experts in the field.