Among them, at 611 4th Ave., was the Metropolitan
Buick Co., owned by J.B. Rich.

A Texas native, Hez G. Ward graduated from Cornell University with
a degree in business administration and hotel management. When
he graduated he landed a job as a mail clerk at the Netherland-
Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati, rapidly advancing to assistant
manager of the hotel’s front office. Later he was
 assistant zone manager for the Cincinnati
regional office of the Chevrolet Division
of General Motors.

In 1945, Ward moved to Huntington and partnered with J.B. Rich in
 opening City Chevrolet. In 1949, he purchased Metropolitan
 Buick from Rich, renaming it Hez Ward Buick.

Active in community affairs, he was a past president of the Cabell
 County Cancer Society, the Cabell County Tuberculosis
Association, the Huntington Chamber of Commerce
 and the Huntington Automobile Dealers Association
and served on the boards of the Huntington Urban
Renewal Authority and the Cabell-Huntington
 Health Department. An avid fan of Marshall
University sports, he was named an
 honorary Marshall alumnus.

In 1967, Hez Ward moved his dealership from downtown to
 new, modern quarters at 2957 5th Ave. In 1973, he sold
 it to William C. Turnbull, who renamed it Turnbull
Buick. Ward died Dec. 25, 1986.