He’s best known for the role of the loving father in the iconic 1980’s teen comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but what many people don’t know is Lyman Ward was born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick.
He has just released his first book, Fortune’s Tide, which details many aspects of the city’s long history.
Fortune’s Tide is a work of historical fiction taking into account hundreds of years of Saint John history. He calls it a love note to the city itself.
“I hope people take away from it about how important this city is and how relevant it is in terms of the world in itself,” Ward said Friday.
The book was born from colourful characters and stories from his childhood.
“It taught me about where I came from,” he said. “So it was great. It was great for me to realize I come from one of the richest historical places in North America.”
His early life in Saint John also included a stint working at the Irving Oil Refinery in the 1960s, which ironically may have helped launch his career from its beginnings at the Rothesay Playhouse.
“Shift work allowed me to rehearse, go to work at the refinery, come back, do the show in the evenings,” Ward said.
Ward’s career spans decades and includes more than 100 film and television roles including Laverne and Shirley, Bonanza and Jag.
His most notable is his role in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which he says is still his favourite role.
“Nothing has aged in this film and the message is still the same,” Ward said. “It’s still carpe diem, you know, seize the day. Life moves pretty fast, better get some.”
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