Alice Eklund-Ward

Alice Eklund-Ward (August 2, 1931 - April 27, 2011) was the manager and mother of champion boxers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund. She was portrayed on film by Melissa Leo in The Fighter (2010). Leo won an Academy Award for her performance.
Personal life
Born Alice Greenhalge in Lowell, Massachusetts, the daughter of Emma (née McMahon (1900-1975) and Thomas Greenhalge (1904-1969). She was a prominent figure in the Lowell, Massachusetts community, where she lived her entire life. She was the mother of nine children. She had seven daughters, Cindy (1961-2012), Donna, Gail, Phyllis, Catherine, Alice, and Sherri. Her two sons are champion boxers and .
Boxing
Alice began managing her son Dicky's career in 1978. Her sons stated during promotional tours for The Fighter Alice was influential in their boxing careers. In 1978, she arranged for Dickey to fight Sugar Ray Leonard in Boston. In 1979, Alice arranged travel for them to London so Dickey could fight Dave Boy Green.
While Dickey was in jail for cocaine use, Alice was featured in the documentary High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell attempting to raise money for his bail. While Dickey was in jail she helped raise his son. She could be seen on HBO World Championship Boxing giving commentary on the fights if her sons were boxing in them.
In 2003, Scout Productions bought the film rights to Ward-Eklund life story. The film came to fruition when Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell signed on to the project. When filming began, Melissa Leo met with Alice for advice on her role. The Fighter was released in 2010 and nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Leo won Best Supporting Actress as Alice and Christian Bale won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Dickey.
Death
In January 2011, Alice was hospitalized for a heart attack, and she lived a few months more before dying from complications of lung cancer on April 27, 2011, at Spalding Rehabilitation Center in Cambridge.
Melissa Leo mentioned Alice in her Oscar speech, knowing she was in the hospital at that time and could not attend the awards ceremony, saying to the audience, "...shout out for Nana!" Her husband, George Ward, died months after Alice on November 2, 2011. He was portrayed in the film The Fighter by Jack McGee.

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