James W. "Jim" Ward, of Melrose, died March 15, 2017 at the age of 67. Jim was born in Elizabeth, NJ on November 30, 1949 to Joseph R. & June E. (Wainwright) Ward. He was raised in Brookline, MA and graduated from Brookline High School in 1967. In 1974 Jim married the love of his life, Marilyn R. (Noble) Ward, at St. James Church in Salem, MA. They settled in Melrose and raised their two sons, Nicholas & Kevin. Jim worked at Hood Coatings in Georgetown for 30 years. Jim was an avid baseball fan, and over the years baseball became a very important part of their family. He dedicated countless hours to the Churchill American Little League in Melrose. He spent 15 years volunteering for the league as a coach and spent 9 of those years as president. The championship trophy was even named the "Jim Ward Trophy". In addition to volunteering with the little league he also volunteered in the youth soccer & basketball programs in Melrose. In addition to his time with Melrose youth sports Jim enjoyed gardening, building, and fixing anything that need to be fixed. He loved helping others and was always the first person to volunteer to lend a helping hand. His family will remember taking vacations with him up to Laconia, NH in the summertime. Above all else, Jim was a family man; he loved his family more than anything. He cherished his grandchildren, and was happiest when he was surrounded by family. He will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege to know him. Visiting hours will be held at the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose, on Sun., March 19, 2017 from 2:00 - 6:00 PM. Funeral from the Gately Funeral Home on Mon., March 20, 2017 at 9 AM followed by a 10 AM Mass of Christian Burial at Incarnation Church, 425 Upham St., Melrose. Interment at Puritan Lawn Cemetery, Peabody. Relatives & friends are respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Pitching in for Kids, 1 South Market Building, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02109 or to the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association, P.O. Box 55071 #15530, Boston, MA 02205.