Shirley Jean Ward

Shirley Jean (Wake) Ward was born December 6, 1928 and passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, April 3rd, 2016 at the age of 87. Born in Moline, Illinois to Frank Wake and Evelyn (Cook) Wake, she is survived by her brother Rusty Wake, her 4 children (Diana, Darlene, Bruce and Billy), 6 grandchildren (Brian, Shelley, Jason, Douglas, Travis and Andrea) and 8 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Bill. Shirley spent her earliest years on her family’s farm and always had fond memories of those times. She went on to graduate as valedictorian of her Hillsdale High School class. In 1947 she married Gerald Hargrave and they lived in several small towns in Illinois when their daughters Diana and Darlene were born. Later they moved to Glenwood Springs, Colorado and their 3rd child, son Bruce, was born there. When the marriage ended in divorce in 1955, Shirley moved with her children to Phoenix, Arizona to be near other family members who had recently moved there. After she settled in and found work, it wasn’t too long after joining a church in Phoenix before she and a tall Texan at church started noticing each other. That Texas transplant was Bill Ward, who would become her husband for the next 51+ years. Shirley and Bill married in 1956 and in a few years their son, Billy, came along and became the 4th child in the family. They led a typical family life of that era, raising 4 kids, both working and active in their church and as Little League parents until Bill’s heart problems led them out of the heat. They headed to the Pacific Northwest and settled in Medford, Oregon with Bruce and Billy who were the 2 remaining children at home. After the boys grew up and moved out, Shirley and Bill went on to enjoy a very active lifestyle that included golf, motorcycles, cross-country skiing, flying their own planes (and her pulling him in his glider), boating, fishing and travelling, including a wonderful trip to Ireland. Shirley was always artistic and crafty, sewed all the girls’ prom dresses, crocheted countless afghans for the kids, grandkids and others, and became a good amateur artist in her free time, leaving behind many cherished paintings. When Shirley retired, she and Bill attended her going-away party at work and immediately afterward left straight from there in their beautiful new motorhome so as not to waste a moment’s time. They “hit the road”, never looking back, and enjoyed a fulltime RV lifestyle for many years, travelling to Canada, Alaska, and all over the continental US. Shirley always said that those were her favorite years and best memories, roaming the country to their heart’s content, choosing a new place to visit all the time but with no set schedule or timeframe. The family eventually asked them to communicate a bit more often and also to get a cell phone, as they were so hard to get in touch with … sort of like teenagers enjoying their freedom for the first time. The truth is that we were all jealous and happy for them and their new carefree lifestyle! When the driving became too much, they eventually settled in Yuma, AZ where they had made friends and enjoyed the warm, dry weather, still travelling when they could. Bill passed away in 2008 and soon after that, Shirley sold their home there and moved to Altamonte Springs, Florida to be near Darlene and Darlene’s family and she so enjoyed being near family. She spent many fun years there, travelling with the family as much as she possibly could, including a Caribbean cruise, trips to Daytona and other beach cities, a trip to North Carolina, many short trips with family and several trips to Tucson, San Diego, Brookings and Portland to visit Billy, Rusty, Bruce, Diana and the grandkids and great-grandkids. Travel was her passion and she would have preferred to do so much more but, after several years of increasingly more serious health issues, she was very tired and was ready for her last trip, a short and peaceful journey to join so many of her loved ones that she had missed so much. She was a beloved mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She will always be missed but her values and all of our memories of her will continue to live on in all of us.

Shirley Jean Ward

December 6, 1928 - April 3, 2016