Ward William “Bill” Are, Jr: Obituary

Ward William “Bill” Are, Jr, of Blue Ridge, Georgia, formerly of  Ellijay and Marietta, Georgia, passed away on April 25, 2018.

Mr. Are, a child of the late Ward and Lorraine Are of Batesburg, South Carolina, was born on March 30, 1930, in Charleston, South Carolina. He graduated from Batesburg-Leesville High School, and was a member of The Citadel Class of 1951, where he served on both the Junior Sword Drill team and the Summerall Guards rifle demonstration team. He was a Korean War veteran and officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. He did post graduate work at Georgia Tech, and spent a career in engineering at Lockheed where he acquired two patents, and rose to the level of Department Manager of Quality Assurance.

Mr. Are was a lifelong Mason, was the 1965 Worshipful Master of the Nelms Lodge #323 in Smyrna, and was later active in the Lions Club in Ellijay where he was a Melvin Jones Fellow. He was a former church council member at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Marietta, a founding member of Hope Lutheran Church in Ellijay, and served on the Board of Directors of the Blackberry Mountain Association. His hobbies included fishing, boating, camping and coin collecting. He supported his children through their school athletic endeavors, both coaching and as a booster. He also served in an adult leadership capacity with the Boy Scouts of America and the YMCA Indian Guides.

He is survived by his children Ward W. “Skip” Are, III (Robin) of Powder Springs, Patrice Kathleen Are Grizzle of Adairsville and friend Kenneth Parker, and David C. Are(Melony) of Grover, South Carolina. He is also survived by his grandchildren Georgia Kathleen Johnson (Brian), Timothy Grizzle (Beth), Stephanie Flatt (Brandon), Carrie Christensen (Clayton), Danielle Are, and Clayton Are, and ten great-grandchildren, his brother Tom Are (Jean) of Tucker, Georgia.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Kathleen Lorick Shealy Are, his parents Ward and Lorraine Are of Batesburg, South Carolina, and son-in-law Tony Grizzle of Adairsville, Georgia.

The family will receive friends at Hope Lutheran Church, Ellijay, Georgia on May 5, 2018 from 11:00-12:00 o’clock. Memorial services for Mr. Are will be held at the church immediately following day at 12:00 o’clock, with entombment to follow in the church columbarium. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Hope Lutheran Church Building Maintenance Fund, 3595 Old Highway 5, S., Ellijay, GA 30540. Phone 706-636-4673.