Jon Clesmer Ward III, 73, passed away peacefully on September 28, 2026, after a long period of declining health.

Jon was born on October 27, 1952, in Brigham City, Utah to Jon and Carolyn Williams Ward. Most of his youth was split between two places he loved: the family ranch near Snowville, Utah and his family home in Malad, Idaho.

Jon was educated in Malad, where he lettered in high school football, wrestling, and track. His greatest passion, however, was music. He sang in choirs, performed in church, and won many awards in band. He received superior ratings every year at district, state, and regional competitions. He continued playing saxophone into college and occasionally sat in with bands where he taught as an adult. He also sang in the Malad Community Choir.

Jon began his undergraduate studies at BYU in Provo, UT before serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Central German Mission, an experience that deepened a lifelong love of the German language and culture. His missionary work in Germany led him to pursue a BA in German from Idaho State University. He completed his BA in German at Idaho State University in 1979 and earned his MA from Utah State University in 1987. Jon taught German and English at Malad High School, Bonneville High School in Idaho Falls, and Rigby High School. He also served as an adjunct professor of English at BYU-Idaho. He loved teaching and especially treasured the many students whose lives he touched.

In 1992, Jon was honored as Idaho’s Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.

Each summer Jon escorted high school students to Germany as part of the German American Partnership Program. For 25 years, he organized month-long cultural exchanges between Idaho and Germany. His dedication to these exchanges and to cross-cultural understanding earned him a unique distinction: he was selected as the first U.S. teacher to take a group of American students to a former East German school after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Jon was one of a few distinguished educators to serve as part of the Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellowship, historically known as the Mandel Fellows Program. He spent time serving as a member of a regional team that trained educators in ways to teach the Holocaust. This was an important topic for Jon, one that he hoped to share with as many students as he could.

Following his mission, Jon fell in love with Mary Ann Thomas, and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on May 31, 1974. During their 52 years together, they lived in Snowville and Malad, Idaho; Idaho Falls; Reno, Nevada; and Logan, Utah. They supported one

another throughout their careers and, after retirement, enjoyed traveling together. Ann was by his side when he passed, and they were seldom apart.

Jon was a faithful, devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He enjoyed the many callings in which he served and the people with whom he interacted.

Jon and Ann are the proud parents of three children: J. Cles Ward IV (Leslie) of Ruckersville, Virginia; Lydia (Jeff) Zollinger of Reno, Nevada; and Kristin Ward of Reno, Nevada. He is also survived by six grandchildren and two sisters, Ann (Kevin) Keller of Mantua, Utah, and Jill (Keith) Blaisdell of Malad, Idaho.

Jon and his family would like to extend a special thank you to Ascend Hospice and the many staff members of Maple Springs of North Logan who provided exceptional care during the last months of Jon's life.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, October 10th at 11:00 a.m. at the Malad LDS 3rd Ward at 400 N. 200 W. Viewings will be held at Horsley Funeral Home Friday evening from 7-8 p.m. and prior to the service from 9:30-10:30 a.m.