Mary Helen (Maly) Ward, 91

Mary Helen (Maly) Ward, 91, passed away Feb. 11, 2020, in Kalispell after a recent, brief illness.

Mary was born Dec. 8, 1928, in East St. Louis, Illinois, the sixth child of James and Emma Skrha Maly. On Feb. 28, 1946, she married her loving husband Lawrence Ward. Together they enjoyed 74 years of caring and sharing and were blessed with a wonderful family. She was a proud mother of four daughters and four sons.

Mary was devout in her Catholic faith and greatly comforted by it. She was a member of St. Matthew’s parish for more than 70 years. She was also a member of the Daughters of Isabella, Beta Sigma Phi, C.S.A Lodge and the Kalispell Twirlers/square dancers.

She was an Avon representative for 32 years, served as an election judge, hospital volunteer washing patient’s hair and was a Brownie leader. In addition to her sewing Mary developed her artistic talents painting and card-making; all are treasured keepsakes.

She was preceded in death by parents, James and Emma Maly; parents-in-law, Les and Laura Ward; brothers, Steve, Joe, Jim, John and William; sons, Daniel and Lawrence; and sons-in-law, Gregg Osborn and Dan Danaher.

Mary is survived by her loving husband, Lawrence Ward; children, Sister Marilyn Ward of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Susan Danaher and Todd Scholer of Kalispell, Barbara (Bob) Coccia of New Castle, Washington, Sandra Ward and Dan Thompson of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Christopher (Stephanie) Ward of Dayton, Ohio, and Patrick (Sherry) Ward of Kalispell; sister, Margaret Diepholz of Troy, Illinois; sister in-law, Maxine Ward of Chester, Montana; daughter in-law, Janice Hesketh of Good Year, Arizona; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

There will be visitation and rosary at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 18 at St. Matthew’s School gym; please use the Main Street entrance.

Our family is most grateful for those who cared for Mary, her health-care providers David Habel, Eve Gillespie and Frontier Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to American Heart Association.

We are forever grateful for Mom and the blessings she has given to us — they are priceless and can never be replaced. We thank God for the gift she was to all of us.

Friends are encouraged to visit the website www.buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolence for the family. Buffalo Hill Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the family.