George Ward left this stage on August 14th 2013. At the time of his passing George was longest serving and an honorary life member of the society. When we changed the name of our Society in 2013 at our AGM to ‘Glencullen Dundrum MDS’ George seconded the motion. Over the years he shared our stage with his beloved wife Ann and a number of their children.
A chairperson on more than one occasion George, whilst being committed to the work of theatre, was the always on for the craic in the dressing room, during rehearsals and was a massive presence on stage no matter role he was in. In his last role as ‘The Judge’ in the Irish premier of ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ the AIMS critic described him as “Perfect”.
Our society was founded in 1971 and the community was central to it. We are a family and we share each other’s joys. George was the embodiment of this. His love for the society was infectious. He loved seeing the society challenge itself with shows, respected the work of the committee, experienced members and every production team but he particularity loved seeing new members joining and embracing our society and becoming part of our family. A family he certainly loved, cared for, nurtured and helped build.
He loved all aspects of the Society and the work that goes with it. Back Stage, Front of House, On Stage, Set construction, PR, Fundraising or just making people, especially new members, feel appreciated and welcomed. Glencullen Dundrum MDS has always been about the community and our family. We will always remain so as long as the legacy of passed member, like George Ward, lives on.
While he was passionate about drama it was in participating in musicals that his spirit soared. It is in his honor that friends of George got together and created the ‘The George Ward Trophy’.
Previous Winners:
Robert Coventry
Phillip Coventry
Liam Ryan
Garrett Grimes
