George Washington Ward

George Washington Ward was born in Dothan, Alabama August 15, 1935 to Clifford and Azzie Lee Ward,
the second of three children. Early in life, George worked in the local fields harvesting cotton and
peanuts. He quickly went from field worker to a driver. The owner of one of the fields George worked at
became his Mentor through which he learned about running a business and wealth creation. With the
death of his mentor he realized that no matter how much you accumulate in life you can’t take it with
you so to enjoy it while you are here is Wisdom. Little did he know this experience would ignite an
internal entrepreneurial passion that would profoundly shape the path of this his life.
He launched his first business cutting grass. In his genius, he deployed a marketing tactic that was years
ahead of his time. He cut his first few new customers grass for free, as a marketing tool, so that he could
attract business from others in the neighborhood.
George attended Carver High School and participated in the track & field and the football athletic
programs. After graduating from Carver High School, he attended Alabama State University where he
lettered in track however due to limited resources George joined the Army proudly serving from 1955-
1957. After he was honorably discharged, he decided to stay in Seattle. His career took him in many
different directions. He worked at Boeing as an electrical inspector for several years but the
entrepreneurial spirit that was birthed in him many years prior, could not be quenched. So, he decided
to go to school at night to get his real estate brokerage license. After being licensed, he started
purchasing real estate. He later became one of the founding members of South-Central Reality where he
developed a reputation as an honest businessman.
George loved to mentor others mainly through storytelling that focused on developing a strong work
ethic and discipline. He also supported countless non-profit organizations, his alma Marter’s, or anyone
who needed a helping hand and a desire to excel, his community and his family.
He is preceded in death by his mother and father Clifford and Azzie Lee Ward, his son Gordan Ward, his
sisters Luella Ward Kirkland and Bonnie Burton, his nephews Martin Anthony Burton and Wayne Burton.
He is survived by his children, Shamseddin Williams and George Fine Ward, his step children, Jaques
Raphel, Guy Raphel, Yvette Raphel, Starla Miller and Jackie Leight, his grandchildren Darius and Breana
Williams, and a whole host of nieces, nephews, cousins, as well as many other close friends and loved
ones.
As we celebrate George, let us embrace his legacy of developing a love of learning, a strong work ethic,
dedication, and a heart to help others to be the best at whatever they wanted to do in life. By
empowering one another and those in need, his spirit lives on!

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