Matthew Patrick Ward

Scarborough - Matthew P. Ward passed away suddenly at Maine Medical Center in Portland Maine on June 7, 2024 as a result of an acute form of leukemia. Matt was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania on April 14, 1944 to Matthew P. and Grace Mary Neiderer Ward. He attended Monongahela Valley Catholic High School in Charleroi Pennsylvania and graduated from Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in 1966. Upon graduation he was accepted into the United States Foreign Service and served for the next 35 years as a career Foreign Service Officer. Matt’s first overseas assignment was Vietnam and early posts included Haiti and Burma (Myanmar). In 1975 Matt was assigned to Iran. It was at the U. S. Embassy in Tehran that he had the great good fortune to meet the love of his life - Emily Gilhooley. Emily and Matt were married in 1977 and with coordinated assignments, they were able to stay together as they continued their careers in the diplomatic service. After their time in Tehran, Matt and Emily served together in Bangkok and Luxembourg. During this period, Matt was assigned to Indonesia and tasked with assisting in the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees. East Asia became the focus of subsequent postings for both of them. They served in Taiwan and in Shanghai where Matt was the Economic Officer and Emily was an Administrative Assistant. In their last overseas assignment, Matt and Emily were posted to Sudan. At the embassy in Khartoum, Matt served as the Economic Officer and Emily served as the Personnel Officer. After his years of service abroad, Matt came stateside to lead inspection teams for the Office of the State Department Inspector General followed by a stint at the White House as a regional diplomatic attaché. After “retiring” to Scarborough Maine, Matt accepted the position as Executive Director of Refugee Resettlement for Catholic Charities of Maine. During his years in Maine, he regularly shared his knowledge of world affairs with students at the University of Southern Maine, with participants in the Great Issues program, with members of the World Affairs Council and with his numerous consulting clients. Matt was an intellectual powerhouse, fluent in six languages, but he never stopped being the happy kid who grew up in a Western Pennsylvania mining town. He could converse or laugh with anyone – (literally) anywhere in the world. Matt is survived by his loving wife Emily (Gilhooley) Ward; his brothers, Thomas M. Ward (Carol A. Ward), Joseph T. Ward (Candy Lee), James E. Ward; and his sister, Sara Jane Tufo (Joseph A. Tufo). He is fondly remembered as “Uncle Matt” by his many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He leaves behind dear cousins who were also close childhood friends. To quote one of his nephews, “Uncle Matt was simply a cool dude.” A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00am on July 1, 2024, at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church, 150 Black Point Road, Scarborough. In lieu of flowers please consider a gift to the Senior Living Foundation of American Foreign Service, 1620 L Street, NW, Ste. 800, Washington, DC 20036-5629; or Catholic Charities of Maine Refugee and Immigration Services, Memo: Refugee and Immigration Services, PO Box 10660, Portland, ME 04104-6060