Columbia staff, students gather to celebrate life of Tony Ward

By South Loop TV News Team

Family, faculty and staff gathered for a Celebration of Life for Anthony “Tony” Ward on March 18. The event took place in Theater 310 at the 1104 S. Wabash Ave. building. 

After a short and silent health battle, Ward, who was the intermediate equipment center supervisor for the School of Film and Television, unexpectedly passed away at 52, leaving a lasting impact on the Columbia community.

Rachel Sarauw, Ward’s sister, said that Ward would have loved the event because he had spent so much of his life at Columbia. To her, people being able to come out and celebrate Ward’s life allowed them to peek into another part of his life.

“As my mom keeps saying, ‘He came here at 17 and he left here at 52,’” Sarauw said. “They got a chance to experience and love him as much as we do. It’s not like he’s just ours - he belongs to both of us.”

Reporter: Jazmyne Walker

Camera: Jazmyne Walker

Web writer: Matt Brady