1947-2025
Stephen Rice Ward died Nov. 14, 2025, after a two-year struggle with cancer. He ended his life as he had lived, on his own terms and at the time and place of his own choosing. His partner of 35 years, Stephanie Leaf, was with him at the time of his death.
Steve was born in San Francisco April 21, 1947. He was a true son of the golden west, with California roots stretching back several generations. His childhood was spent mainly in the lush communities of Tiburon and Belvedere plus an indelible year spent in Japan. He lived in several different places in northern California, including over 35 years in Quincy. He spent the last five years of his life in the Marin County community of Larkspur.
Steve’s life was filled with a variety of adventures. In his teens he joined the Merchant Marine and visited exotic ports around the world. He worked on boats in Alaska, on a ranch in Montana, and in the oil fields and forests of California. He acquired the nickname “Harley” from his enjoyment of motorcycles.
Steve’s true love was the out-of-doors. He loved hiking, kayaking, gold mining in remote creeks, the excitement of surfing and the quiet peace of birdwatching.
With his wife Stephanie, he explored many of California’s most beautiful places. They hiked many sections of the Pacific Crest Trail, including the John Muir Trail. They climbed Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the continental United States, and explored Badwater, the lowest point. They loved hiking the deserts and mysterious slot canyons of Death Valley.
They dived the waters of California from Catalina to Ft. Bragg, and the warmer waters of Hawaii and the Caribbean. They kayaked the Sea of Cortez and camped for weeks in solitude in some of the most remote regions of Baja, California. They enjoyed adventures in their own backyard, frequently climbing mountains, Lassen and Elwell, and skiing or snowboarding the mountains around Lake Tahoe.
For the last five years of his life, Steve returned to Marin County, where the proximity of the ocean allowed him to pursue his love of surfing.
Steve was passionate about politics and did all that he could to fight right-wing extremism. You can honor Steve’s memory by continuing the fight to preserve our democracy and to protect what remains to us of our natural world.
