Obituary of Marie-José Ward

Marie-José Ward died peacefully at home in her sleep on Friday morning July 31, 2015, surrounded by her family. She was 62-years-old and lost her life to cancer 19 months after diagnosis. Her husband, Rodney, and their children, Thomas, Paul, Oliver, and Claire are together at the family home in Port Williams and mourning her passing together with her sisters, Marie-Louise and Angelique, and her brother Victor. On the morning of her death, a dewy, Frisian sky lit Marie’s garden and it became a beautiful day. One of Marie’s favourite sayings is, “Het leven zucht, naar licht en lucht.” It means, life sighs with light and air. Marie filled our lives with light and air—and magic. She always made everyone feel good. Her joyful mischief was contagious—she taught us to play, to misbehave, to let loose, to love. Marie was born in Hilversum, the Netherlands on February 2 during ‘De Ramp,’ the great North Sea storm of 1953. She spent her childhood in Indonesia and her youth sailing in the north of Holland. She came to Canada in 1974 and studied Classics at Bishop’s University, where she met Rodney and fell deeply and forever in love. They married in Nijmegen in 1978 and embraced an Air Force life of travel and adventure. Their four children live rich, full lives inspired by their parents’ great romance. Marie breathed life into everything she touched. Gardens and animals, in particular, flourished under her care. As with everything she did in life, she left us gracefully and with a smile. We love you always. Arrangements have been entrusted to Serenity Lindsay Annapolis Valley Funeral Home (Wolfville Funeral Chapel), 902-542-4656. Service Schedule: Visitation for all will be held on Monday, August 3, 2015 1PM-4PM at the Wolfville Funeral Chapel, 568 Main Street, Wolfville, NS. A memorial service will be held for close friends and family on Tuesday, August 4 11AM-1PM in the Irving Center Conservatory Room at Acadia University, 32 University Ave, Wolfville, NS.