One of their own has passed away in the modeling community.
The sad news of the demise of Nyima Ward, son of the legendary ’90s supermodel Trish Goff and ex Aaron Ward, has left us in shock. He was a young and promising 27-year-old.
According to his obituary, Nyima Lee Ward entered this world on January 2, 1997 in Ocala, Florida, determined to live life on his own terms. He departed on May 29, 2024, after living with an intense passion, loving deeply, and creating unforgettable memories with the kind of enthusiasm that only a young man who never met a stranger could possess.
The reason behind Nyima’s demise has not been disclosed.
The obituary stated that Nyima, which translates to “the Sun” in Tibetan, was undoubtedly the shining light of Aaron Ward and Trish Goff’s world from the moment he was born. He continued to hold that special place in their hearts throughout his entire life.
When Nyima was still young, Trish had already introduced him to the modeling world. He would sometimes join her during events and photo shoots. In fact, he even participated in a Vogue photo shoot with her. Eventually, when he turned 18, he signed with Trish’s partner, David Bonnouvrier’s DNA Models agency.
The model, recognized for his distinctive waist-long hair, collaborated with renowned fashion photographers like Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber and walked runways for designers such as Anna Sui and John Varvatos.
However, for Nyima, modeling was always more of a side job.
“I’m really into carpentry,” he shared with W magazine in 2017. “I consider myself more a woodworker than a model. When people ask what I do, I almost forget to mention modeling. But I guess I am a model. I don’t really see myself as one, though. I picture myself more as a nine-to-five worker. That’s what I do more regularly.”
As the child of a supermodel, Nyima traveled extensively during his upbringing. “When I was 15 and started growing my hair out, I was sent to boarding school and got really into skiing and extreme sports for a few years,” he told W. “I lived in Utah for two years. Coming from the East Coast, that was just amazing.”
His obituary described Nyima as “a boy of the world, traveling extensively, who grew into a man of the earth, falling in love with farming and animals and chasing his dreams from California to Florida,” his mother’s home state.
“It wouldn’t have been unheard of to find Nyima with a stray animal he’d saved on the side of the road,” it continued, “or calling his mom to ask about animal care tips.”
Throughout his life, Nyima made sure to keep his loved ones close. “The only thing in life that matched his height was his love of friends and family, never missing an opportunity to tell his people he loved them or ensuring he had stayed in touch,” his obituary read. “Memories of Nyima will carry forward in the hearts of his Dad Aaron Ward, Mom Trish Goff and David Bonnouvrier, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.”