Mary Jo Ward, 75

Recently, a great woman, “was taken into the arms of the good Lord, to join loved ones of her past.” Mary Jo Ward’s time on this Earth ended on Feb. 8, 2016, when she passed away from natural causes.

Mary Jo was born on Dec. 26, 1940, in Stillwater, Minnesota, to Roy and Margaret Dietz. The family continued to reside there, where she graduated from Stillwater High School. She remained briefly until she relocated to the Flathead Valley, first to Whitefish, then to Kalispell in 1967. She worked for the local phone company, then operated by Northwest Telephone Systems.

In 1980, she and her future husband, Bill Ward, transferred with the company to Gig Harbor, Washington. When Bill retired, she soon took retirement as well, leaving as the service center manager for Telephone Utilities, Inc. In 1995.

Upon retirement, they embarked on an adventure they both shared. They sold their residence in Gig Harbor, purchased a travel trailer, and set out to visit all of then Continental 48 states. In time, they decided to take residence in Yuma, Arizona. While they appreciated the warm, dry climate, the call of home was too strong. By 1997, they acquired a piece of property, and built their new home in Woods Bay. Bill passed away in 2008, and Mary Jo remained in the home that they built, until her day of passing.

Mary Jo should be remembered as an extremely compassionate woman. Throughout her life, she was a selfless individual, never putting herself first. Even in her modest existence, she was a charitable woman, donating beyond her share to causes she believed in, namely the Wounded Warriors Project and the Bigfork Food Bank.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Margaret Dietz; the love of her life, husband Bill Ward; and son Willie.

She is survived by her sisters, Margaret Ann and Richard Tscida, and Deborah and Garrett Conover; Willie’s wife, Yvonne; children, Terry, Shawn, Cathy, Mary, Michael, Mark and Robert; 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at the family home on Saturday, Feb. 27. Consistent with her wishes, the family will hold a ceremony of the scattering of her ashes along with Bill’s later this summer.