Forsyth Ward

Forsyth Ward
Born	1897 Lockport, New York, USA
Died	June 8, 1969 Acre, Israel

Nairne Forsyth Ward (1897 - June 8, 1969) was an American Bahá’í who served as the Caretaker of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh alongside his wife for ten years.

Biography

Ward was born in Lockport, New York, in 1897. In his youth he studied at the Cornell Universty College of Mechanical Engineering and in 1921 he discovered the Bahá’í Faith and joined the religion while in the University infirmary due to an illness when his nurse, Hetty Belle Towneley, leant him Bahá’í literature. After graduating Ward began working at Cornell University as an instructor, in 1926 he married Janet Nundy who also became a Bahá’í shortly after their wedding, and in 1927 he completed a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering at Cornell.

In 1927 the Ward's moved to Berkeley where Ward was appointed an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California and he worked there until 1941. While in Berkeley Ward frequently travelled and delivered talks at public meetings and on the radio to proclaim the Faith and also served on the Geyserville Bahá’í Summer School Committee, directing the annual Summer School and delivering lectures at it, and also constructing a house on the Geyserville property at the invitation of John Bosch which he later donated to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States.

Ward and his family moved to Seattle, Washington, in 1941 when he became employed by government working in the field of aircraft, and in 1942 he was transferred to Kansas. After the end of the Second World War he was able to return to California remaining there for a few years before pioneering to Tempe, Arizona, where they assisted in establishing a Local Spiritual Assembly. In 1957 Rex and Mary Collison, who had pioneered to Uganda, visited the Wards and encouraged them to join them and in 1959 Ward retired and he and his wife sold most of their belongings and secured permission to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land while en route to their pioneer post in Uganda.

At the end of the Ward's 1959 pilgrimage the Custodians invited them to serve as Custodians of the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh and they accepted, with Ward utilizing his skill and knowledge to assist with repairs and maintenance of the Bahá’í properties and gardens at Bahjí. He also served as a tour guide and chauffeur for pilgrims and assisted the Hands of the Cause during their annual Conclaves. He continued to serve as Custodian under the Universal House of Justice after it was formed in 1963 serving up until he passed while walking in the gardens of Bahjí early in the morning on June 8, 1969.

After his passing the Universal House of Justice conveyed the following message:

GRIEVED ANNOUNCE SUDDEN PASSING NAIRNE FORSYTH WARD DEVOTED BELIEVER WHO WHILE ENROUTE PIONEER POST AFRICA DURING CRUSADE RESPONDED REQUEST HANDS CAUSE REMAIN BAHJI AS CUSTODIAN SACRED SHRINE BLESSED BEAUTY SERVING WITH WIFE JANET IN THAT EXALTED POST UNTIL HIS PASSING STOP HIS DEVOTED SERVICES AMERICAN HOMEFRONT SINCE EARLY TWENTIES LONG REMEMBERED STOP VIEW HIS INTIMATE ASSOCIATION GEYSERVILLE ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL SERVICE DURING SUMMER SCHOOL SESSIONS THERE STOP PRAYING SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.