John Ward; Actor Was Subject of Documentary on Strokes

John Ward, 71, an actor and director who was the subject of a documentary on stroke victims after he was disabled by a stroke in 1984. A native New Yorker who studied at Yale Drama School, Ward appeared in the Broadway production of “Mr. Roberts” and in productions of the Cherry Lane Theatre and the Provincetown Playhouse. He also was in more than 50 live television shows in the early days of the medium. Moving to Hollywood, he acted in the film “PT 109” and later was a regular on the television series “Baretta,” starring Robert Blake. Ward directed actress Patricia Neal in a special about her stroke and comeback, titled “Stroke-Counter-Stroke.” After he suffered a severe stroke himself, his courage and tenacity were showcased in a documentary on strokes by the drug company Syntex. On March 23 in Los Angeles of complications from stroke.