I burn my candle at both ends, It will not last the night. But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends, It gives a lovely light. Edna St.Vincent Millay Michael Ward died suddenly on February 1st at 6:03pm. May his memory be eternal. MichaelArchimedesVlachosWard(1943-2010) Michael was born in Kampala, Uganda of Greek born parents. He grew up tri-lingual, speaking English, Greek and Swahili. As a child, he spent most of his time playing hooky, and excelled at climbing trees to pick the best mangos. Throughout his life he carried with him the pain of the African people as they suffered under British rule. This pain motivated him to dedicate his life to making a meaningful contribution to the world.Orphaned at the age of nine, he and his brother returned to their Greek family in post war Athens. By the age of 10 he had a lucrative jobas an elevator boy in the Athena Palace Hotel. There he met Colonel Ward who committed to seeing him well educated. He graduated from SevenOaks School in Kent, England. He then returned to the States to live with his brother in New Jersey. Sadly, a year after they were reunited, his brother was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 23. Nevertheless, Michael graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers University. He continued his education by earning a Masters Degree from the University of Iowa and a PhD from Harvard University. In 1970, he was married to Elaine Panagopoulos. He was embraced and loved by her parents as a son.During the first fuel embargo (1973) he took an interest in lean burn combustion. An intrepid researcher, he devoted the next 30 years of his life to solving the lean burn problem. He became a world authority on ignition, and was granted dozens of patents, many of them master patents. Articles were published on his work in the Economist Magazine, Boston Globe, and Design News, amongst others.He pursued his dream to the end in the face of much adversity. In 2004, he was in serious negotiations with Federal Mogul. He suffered his first stroke in December of that year in his office at CEI.Left paralyzed on the right side and speech impaired, he learned to walk and speak all over again, fighting to return to his work. He suffered his second stroke in June, 2008 in the conference room at CEI, once again in serious license negotiations, this time with a Japanese automotive parts supplier. The second stroke left him weaker and permanently speech impaired. Yet he continued to file patents to complete the lean burn solution. He said that what he lost in intellectual ability due to his two stokes, he gained in wisdom. In 2009, he took an interest in the two stroke engine.This work, although brilliant, came easily to him. He joked that God had given him two strokes in order to open his eyes to the solution of the two stroke engine. His laughter was infectious. The post card acknowledging this patent filing arrived from the U.S. Patent Officeon the day he died. He died at the CEI facilities while standing up -- continuing to work to the last moment of his life. He is survived by his devoted and beloved wife Elaine.