Ward Whitfield Houston

Ward Whitfield Houston, 37, of Knoxville, TN, passed away suddenly on Saturday, June 15, 2024. First, no matter what we write, Ward wouldn’t have liked it. “Don’t get pedantic, Lauren. Wait. Do you know the meaning of the word pedantic? Don’t follow all those stuffy rules. Forget the minutiae.” Well, I’m sorry, Ward. I’m getting to type this up and you aren’t, so I get to follow the rules like I like them. Ward was born in Knoxville, TN, on June 11, 1987. He graduated from Bearden High School in 2005. In high school, he attended Boys’ State and Governor's School for the Humanities. He grew up a member of Second Presbyterian Church. Ward attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville where he graduated with a Bachelors of Music: Studio Music and Jazz. Ward was a drummer. Ward was a musician. Ward was a writer. Ward loved to read. He loved to learn. He loved to guess what the Final Jeopardy! question would be during the commercial break based solely off the category. He loved his nephews. He loved his parents. He loved his sister. He loved many of you reading this. Ward is preceded in death by his grandparents Jack and Betty Houston and Harlan and Odessa Whitfield. Ward is survived by his parents Grayson and Lisa Houston, his sister Lauren Andrejko (George III), his nephews Jack and George IV, and all his aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, teachers, neighbors, who loved him. Who valued his company, his intelligence, and his talent. There will be a gathering of friends and family to talk about the good times, eat some food, and hug each other on Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm at Rose Funeral & Cremation- Mann at 6200 Kingston Pike. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for you to please use that money and donate to the Brandon J. Gibson UT Knoxville Alumni Tri-Star Scholarship for the Arts and Culture. Go to: https://giveto.utk.edu/ and under “Search for Fund,” scroll to the “S’s”, click the arrow beside STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS, then click the plus sign (+) beside the “Brandon J. Gibson UT Knoxville Alumni Tri-Star Scholarship for the Arts and Culture.” All options are listed alphabetically. Finally, know getting help is ok. Asking for help is ok. Receiving help is ok. You will be ok. Not everyday can be perfect, but every day is valuable. Enjoy art. Enjoy creating. Enjoy life. Life’s hard. Fill it with beauty and choose happiness. Online condolences may be expressed at www.rosefuneraltn.com

Tributes

Ward Whitfield Houston

June 11, 1987 - June 15, 2024