Model Nyima Ward, the son of ’90s supermodel Trish Goff and Aaron Ward, has passed away at the age of 27.
“Nyima Lee Ward of Ocala, Florida, was born on January 2, 1997. He lived his life with passion and love, creating memories with everyone he met,” his obituary stated. “He left us on May 29, 2024, having lived fiercely and loved deeply.”
The cause of his death was not disclosed.
“In Tibetan, Nyima means ‘the Sun,'” the obituary continued. “When he was born, he was the sun to his parents Aaron Ward and Trish Goff. He remained their light throughout his life.”
Trish introduced Nyima to modeling at a young age. He attended events and photo shoots with her and even did a Vogue shoot before signing with David Bonnouvrier’s DNA Models agency at 18.
Known for his signature waist-long hair, Nyima worked with top fashion photographers like Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber and walked the runways for designers such as Anna Sui and John Varvatos.
However, modeling was just a side job for Nyima. “I’m really into carpentry,” he told W magazine in 2017. “I consider myself more of a woodworker than a model. When people ask what I do, I almost forget to mention modeling. I guess I am a model, but I see myself more as a nine-to-five worker.”
Growing up as the child of a supermodel, Nyima traveled a lot. “When I was 15 and started growing my hair, I went to boarding school and got really into skiing and extreme sports,” he told W. “I lived in Utah for two years, which was amazing coming from the East Coast.”
Nyima was described in his obituary as “a world traveler who grew into a man of the earth, loving farming and animals, and chasing his dreams from California to Florida.”
“It wasn’t unusual to find Nyima rescuing a stray animal or calling his mom for animal care tips,” it continued.
Nyima always kept his loved ones close. “The only thing as tall as Nyima was his love for friends and family. He never missed an opportunity to tell them he loved them and stayed in touch,” his obituary read. “He will be remembered by his Dad Aaron Ward, Mom Trish Goff, David Bonnouvrier, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.”