Record-Breaking TV News Anchor Dead at 86: RIP to Dave Ward

Beloved TV news anchor Dave Ward has died.

The record-breaking ABC13 anchor passed away on Saturday, Dec. 13, according to the Houston Chronicle. He was 86.

David Henry Ward was born in Dallas in 1939 and grew up in Huntsville. After studying at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas, Ward landed a job at radio station KGKB in 1958, where he worked until 1963. He then moved to Houston for another radio job at KNUZ, and three years later, was hired as a reporter for Channel 13.

He set the Guinness World Record for longest career as a television news broadcaster, having worked at KTRK from 1966 until 2017, serving as an anchor for 49 years at ABC13. Throughout his career at the station, he interviewed five U.S. presidents and covered stories such as natural disasters and space shuttle flights. In 2016, Ward underwent heart surgery and was hospitalized in 2020 with an infection, but recovered.

“Dave has been a friend and a mentor,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire told ABC13. “He was a great advisor. He was very fair, but he was very transparent and thorough. “He had such credibility and integrity through his news coverage. We listened to him, and I know for a fact Dave saved lives through his leadership.” Whitmore also revealed that the city will find a way to honor Ward, but did not provide any details.

After leaving ABC13, Ward published his memoir, Good Evening Friends, which is how he started each newscast for nearly 50 straight years. The memoir gives readers a full depth of his notable experiences, covering his 60-year career, taking readers on the news set and behind the scenes, providing candid revelations of his personal struggles, and much more. Additionally, Ward continued community serve work and launched a video podcast called, Dave Ward & Friends.

Ward’s funeral, which was open to the public, was held on Friday with close friends and well-known Houstonians, including Mayor Whitmire, as pallbearers. The previous day, people paid their respects during a public visitation. Emeritus Anchor Dave Ward is survived by his wife, Laura Ward, and children.