Douglas Pressley Ward, 76

Douglas Pressley Ward, 76, passed away from complications of dementia at the Valley Vista Center in Sandpoint, on Sept. 21, 2022.

He was born in Spokane, Wash., to Otho E. and Verna L. Ward on Nov. 19, 1945. He grew up in the Spokane area spending weekends and summers enjoying the outdoors at Priest and Pend Oreille lakes, eventually moving to Sandpoint during his pre-teen years with his family.

He was a 1964 graduate of Sandpoint High School and leaves behind many alumni. He lettered in several sports. Despite his small stature, his effort and team-player mentality demonstrated to others that no obstacle was too big, given the right attitude. He always showed good sportsmanship amongst his teammates, opponents and classmates, and continued to be part of the “Bulldog” family for most of his life.

After high school graduation, he married his high school sweetheart, Karen Behrens, and they then moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where he began his tour with the U.S. Air Force. Both of his children, Michelle and James, were born on the Air Force base.

He was a Vietnam veteran, serving the USAF from 1964 to 1971. He was quiet about his service and combat experiences. For this, he suffered in silence for many years while his brain and body reacted by giving him depression, high-functioning anxiety and suspected PTSD episodes before we all had a true understanding of what this was. Many of us close to him in his early years did not know about this part of his life, nor about the medals he received while serving this great country.

He entered the banking world as an assistant cashier at the Bank of Troy, Idaho, just after his military service ended in 1971. After a few years, he and his young family moved to Sandpoint to be near extended family in both Sandpoint and Spokane. There in Sandpoint, in 1974, he began his real estate career, by shadowing and being mentored by his in-laws, very quickly working his way from agent to owner/broker of his own real estate office, known as Sundance Realty until his eventual retirement in and around 2010, when he was beginning to show signs of short-term memory loss. During the mid-1980s, Doug decided to go a different direction with his personal life and expanded his family and friends circle with a new marriage to Nancy Smith and her two children, Tricia and Darrell. He enjoyed the good life, with many hours enjoying outdoor activities — fishing, hunting, hiking in the mountains for both business and pleasure, all the while behind a good book or doing woodworking projects during the downtimes.

During his time in Sandpoint, from 1974 to 1991, he was a member of the City Council, a Planning and Zoning Chairman with the city of Sandpoint, 1984 Realtor of the Year, a Board of Directors member of the newly established Panhandle State Bank and an escrow manager for Sandpoint Title. In a five-year span of time from 1991 to 1996, he worked in Coeur d’Alene for Pioneer Title and lived in Boise, again working for Pioneer Title, eventually ending up in Bayview, again operating Sundance Realty, alongside Nancy, Tricia and Darrell.

He was a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. His passion for the outdoors and tenacity for doing things right was a consistent feature of his daily life. His smile and often stubborn personality will not be forgotten easily. He especially had a good sense of humor and a playful nature.

He leaves behind his children, Michelle and James Ward; his bonus children, Tricia Hess and Darrell Smith; and his grandchildren, Alec Ward (Kaitie), Alyssa Ward, Riley Ward, Schyler Hess, Mike, Lucas and Lia Smith. He also leaves great-grandchildren Skylar, Alice, Aubree and Amarion for his legacy. Doug has an older sister, Darlene Ward, and a younger sister, Dawn Rainey Ward; as well as two nieces, Megan Boyer (Patrick) and Tracey Rainey; and nephews, Scott and Todd Rohling (Lynne), and Chris Eaton (Dianna).

Doug leaves behind many former clients and colleagues from the real estate community as well as fellow hunters, avid outdoorsman and the fish and wildlife he treasured so much.

He is preceded in death by his father, Otho Ward; his mother, Verna Ward; his nephew, David Rainey; and his niece, Leila Robertson, who all left this earth way too soon.

He will be cremated and laid to rest in the wilds of Idaho, where he spent the majority of his life enjoying the seasons, lakes, rivers, streams, forests, fields, flora and fauna. Throughout his life, the days were spent tromping around the woods locating, marking and showing property, along with sharing his secret spots with special people in his life. Many hours and miles were logged with those short, Scottish legs, along with many of his Labrador retrievers who shared his company.

Please join his family and friends for a memorial service on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m. at Coffelt Funeral Service, 109 N. Division Ave., Sandpoint.

An informal gathering will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW Post 2453), 325 Pine St., Sandpoint.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Doug’s name to one of the following organizations in Doug’s life: VFW Post 2453 (donation box at the VFW hall), Idaho Wildlife Federation (idahowildlife.org), Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (trcp.org), and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (backcounryhunters.org)

Family and friends are invited to sign Doug’s online guestbook at coffeltfuneral.com.

Final arrangements are under the direction of Coffelt Funeral Service.