Community loses a friend on China trip

Newport-Balboa Rotarian and Past District Gov. Ward Munson passed

away at the age of 92 of heart failure Nov. 16 on the return flight

from China. Munson had taken part in an eight-day tour with some 600

business and community leaders from Orange and Riverside counties.

His wife, Sandy, accompanied him.

Munson’s service to Rotarians will be greatly missed. He was a

member of the Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa from 1972 to 2002,

serving as president from 1975-76. Munson was the District 5320

governor in 1983 and was a major benefactor to Rotary International

and the Rotary Foundation.

Sandy Munson had encouraged Ward to fly business class. Ward’s

response was, “We could provide the polio vaccine for 12,000 children

for the cost of the upgrade!” He flew coach. He was that kind of a

guy, always seeing how he could help those in need.

Munson sold Munson Sporting Goods, the major West Coast wholesaler

of sporting goods, in the early 1990s. He served on the board of

directors and was a major contributor to the Children’s Hospital of

Orange County Foundation and Azusa Pacific University, where he

funded Munson Chapel to honor his parents memory and made a major

gift to the newly completed four-story dormitory. He was also a major

contributor to Goodwill and the Salvation Army.

“For years, Ward would walk into my office the first week of

December and leave a big check to be used to buy toys for needy

children,” said Warren Johnson of the Salvation Army.

Others also remember his charity.

“Many years ago, I was working in the slums of Manila when Ward

and his first wife, Alice, showed up to see what I was doing,” said

Chaplain John Lindvall of Mission Ministries, a fellow Rotarian. “His

wife Alice said, ‘We’ve got to help.’ They helped then and

thereafter, and two months ago we received the biggest donation ever

for Mission Ministries, from Ward.”

When Munson moved to Palm Desert, he became involved with Martha’s

Kitchen in Indio, where he cooked, served food and donated the funds

to build a chapel for the organization. During World War II, as a

lieutenant commander in the Navy, Munson coordinated the surrender

ceremony of the Japanese to Gen. Douglas MacArthur aboard the

battleship Missouri.

Munson, who Barbara and I called “friend” for the past 27 years,

once said that it’s what you do with the dash between the year you

were born and the year you die that you are known for. Ward was known

first and foremost as a family man, outstanding businessman,

philanthropist and a great Rotarian.

“His life wasn’t a dash, it was a marathon” past club president

Doug McCrea noted.

Those of us who worked with Munson in Rotary or one of his many

charities, or who called him a friend, were lucky to know a person

whose life was well lived.

Ward is survived by his wife, Sandy, daughters Coleen and

Rosemary, daughter-in-law Christine, eight grandchildren, and an

extended Munson family.

HONORING HONESTY: At the Nov. 14 meeting of the Costa Mesa

Kiwanis, member Pete Peterson presented young Chris Dickson.

Peterson, the manager of the Edward Jones Co. office in Costa Mesa,

said that Chris found one of his client’s financial pouches, which

contained cash, checks and financial documents.

Chris returned the pouch to Peterson and, when asked why he did

so, Chris replied, “Because I’m a Boy Scout.” Peterson felt this act

of honesty should not go unrewarded.

The Kiwanis Club recognized Chris with a plaque. Past President

Ken Dilley presented Boy Scouts of America representative Jeff

Johnson with a contribution from the club on behalf of Chris.

Chris’ parents, Terry and Karen Dickson, younger brother Jeff and

grandparents Bill and Doris Gates were in attendance.

THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION: The Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith

Council will host its annual “Celebration of Thanksgiving” at 4 p.m.

Sunday at Harbor Christian Church. Speakers include Imam Mustufa

Qazwini of the Islamic Education Center, Rabbi Marc Rubenstein of

Temple Isaiah and the Rev. Dr. Dennis Short of Harbor Christian

Church.

There will be scripture reading and music from St. Mark

Presbyterian Church, the Bahai’s and Harbor Christian Church, with

the combined choirs singing the closing song. Admission price is two

cans of food, which will be donated to Share Our Selves, Friends in

Service to Humanity and Families Forward. Gather your family and

friends, and join us for this special Thanksgiving interfaith event.

CLUB NEWS: The Costa Mesa-Orange Coast Breakfast Lions Club is

sponsoring three needy families for Thanksgiving and Christmas and

has made a donation of $1,000 to the Costa Mesa Community Athletic

Foundation. The Exchange Club of Orange Coast and the Rotary Club of

Newport-Balboa have also adopted families for Thanksgiving.

Members of the Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club will be

providing dinner for 100 people at the Southwest Community Center in

Santa Ana on Dec. 14.

The members of the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine are hosting the

children of Olive Crest at a holiday party tonight. The club has also

adopted several families for Christmas.

WORTH REPEATING

From the “Thought for the Day” provided by Greg Kelley of the

Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “ It is not how much we do,

but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give,

but how much love we put in the giving.” -- Mother Teresa

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS

THIS COMING WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 45-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns for a program by John Goodlad on the Rotary

Foundation.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 20-member South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet

at the Center Club (www.southcoastmetrorotary.org) and the Newport

Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at the University Athletic Club.

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.