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RAPAPORT... The Birmingham Assay Office is mourning the loss of its former Assay Master, Bernard Ward, who passed away at the age of 78 on March 15 after a long illness. Ward is survived by his wife, Margaret, and his children, Val and Michael. Ward's funeral is planned for March 23 at the Hutcliffe Wood Crematorium in Sheffield at 11 a.m. During his 15 years at the helm of the Birmingham Assay Office, Ward reinvigorated the business and strove for exemplary customer service, according to the organization's statement. He acquired new equipment and boosted Birmingham as the largest assay office in the U.K. in just three years time. As a result of those efforts, the Birmingham Assay Office said it now enjoys a reputation in the jewelry industry and beyond as a leader in the field of service and technical expertise.  Ward was raised in working class family in Sheffield and although he worked with the most exquisite precious metals for almost 48 years, he was certainly not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, according to the Assay Office. He lost his father during World War II after which time he was left in the care of his grandparents. Shortly after, his grandmother died, leaving a very young Ward and his grandfather, a steel mill worker, to get along as best they could. The Assay Office quoted Ward from an earlier interview where he said, "I grew up in very humble circumstances. When my grandmother died my grandfather and I shared the work between us. It wasn't something I thought much of; it was just the way things were. I passed the test for grammar school, but turned it down. I knew my grandfather couldn't afford it and to save him the embarrassment I said that I wasn't interested in going. Since then I have worked really hard to get what I wanted, because I knew that nothing would be handed to me on a plate." At 17, Ward was noticed by the headmaster of his school for his flair in chemistry and physics and in 1951, his headmaster facilitated an interview, which started Ward’s career in the precious metals business, working for the Sheffield Smelting Company. He took an immediate interest in the business and started attending night classes to qualify for a university education, where he eventually obtained a degree in metallurgy. Ward also played professional football at Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough United, devoting his wages and spare time to earning his education and preparing for life after a career in sports.
In 1978, 27 years after he was hired as a laboratory assistant, he was appointed the managing director of Sheffield Smelting and then later he became director of operations for Engelhard Industries in Chessington, with 1,000 people reporting to him. In 1983, the U.S.-based parent organization decided to close Sheffield Smelting, but Ward allegedly convinced them to sell the business rather than close the plant and he saves 450 jobs. He said at the time, "I've always said that business is about people. I've been there myself, I can identify with the working people and I just couldn't face up to seeing all those people made redundant," according to the Assay Office. In 1994, Ward's eldest daughter died from a brain tumor and, naturally, this affected the lives of the entire family deeply, which led to Ward committing to improve the conditions and rehabilitation of victims of serious illnesses or accidents. Ward became a trustee and chairman of the fundraising committee at ARCOS, a charity focusing mainly on rehabilitation. Ward retired from the Birmingham Assay Office at Christmastime in 1998. In what was described as a very emotional moment, he told everyone at the Assay Office that they held a great place in his heart as his "other family." "Looking back at my life, I must say, I have no regrets. There have been bad times, but I have been very fortunate throughout in my working life and in my marriage,” he said at the time. Ward received the Order of the British Empire on his 65th birthday, May 20, 1999, in recognition of his work and achievements and for services to the jewelry industry.
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