Gregory T. DeWard

Gregory T. DeWard, 73, of Parchment, passed away unexpectedly April 7, 2026. Greg was born February 21, 1953 in Kalamazoo to Adrian and Judith (Kindy) DeWard. He grew up in Comstock, MI and graduated from Comstock High School and later from Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He worked 17 years in IT at The Upjohn Company and prior to his retirement he worked for 9 years at Safari Circuits as a component engineer.

Greg married the former Sue Hall on December 29, 1979, who survives. They spent the majority of their married lives in the Parchment area. Greg is also survived by his children, Tom DeWard and Nikki (Tony) Pfennig; three grandchildren, Zac, Cassidy and Ben Pfennig; two brothers, Tim (Sherry) DeWard and Jeff DeWard; a sister-in-law, Chris (Rick Ashcroft) Hall and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Rick DeWard.

Greg’s passions in life included family, golf, and playing guitar. He was extremely proud of his two children, Tom and Nikki and his grandchildren, Zac, Cassidy and Ben. Greg loved being an active grandparent and cheering on his grandchildren at their sporting events. He also enjoyed family time on holidays, at the pool, and being the boat captain while tubing at Crooked Lake in Delton. Greg also enjoyed fishing with Tom in Islamorada, FL and hosting “The Frozen Open” on Crooked Lake in the winter. Greg loved golf. He was a 40+ year member of Lake Doster Golf Club where he formed many close, lasting friendships. Greg also loved his Martin guitar and still enjoyed playing some of the old 70’s tunes.

A memorial service to celebrate Greg’s life will be 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at Parchment United Methodist Church, 225 Glendale Blvd., Parchment, MI 49004. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service, starting at 10:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow the service at the church. Memorial donations may be made to the SPCA of Southwest Michigan. Arrangements by the Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care, Richland Chapel. Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.