Obituary of Marguerite P. Ward

MARGUERITE P. WARD, 93, of Freedom passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 15, 2018. Marguerite was born in Knox, Maine on December 8, 1924 to Roscoe and Gladys Penney. A proud graduate of Freedom Academy in 1942, Marguerite began working at Monmouth Canning Company in Freedom, Maine before starting at Stinson Canning Factory in Belfast, Maine where she worked for over 30 years. While roller-skating, she met the love of her life, Roy E. Ward, who she later married in New York City on May 23, 1947. Together they created a marriage and family founded on the principles of love, hard work, simplicity, and selflessness that would last 70 years. A journey both often jokingly referred to as a “70 Year War”. Their relationship took them on many adventures and together they shared many of the same interests including music, dancing, the outdoors, and sports. They were the perfect compliment to one another. Regardless of her passions, job, or hobbies she never lost sight of those things that mattered most—family and friends. After retirement Marguerite began spending more time enjoying the things she loved. Often you could find her tending to her flower gardens, dancing at the 10-4 Diner, enjoying a pizza from Pizza Hut, shopping, chatting with friends at McDonalds or Wendy’s, attending community events, visiting with grandchildren, rooting against LeBron James, and cheering on her beloved Boston Celtics with Roy. She found beauty and joy in being surrounded and dedicated to the simpler things in life. As she aged, she instilled the value of hard work, generosity, and humor in those she knew best. Over the last several years Marguerite had no greater pleasure than being nearby those she loved at birthdays or gatherings. Her son, daughter, grandson, great-grandchildren and friends fulfilled her. Roy, her husband, completed her through their life long journey as, in old age, she was his ears and he her eyes. She is predeceased by parents Roscoe and Gladys Penney of Knox, sister Mabel Cunningham (Penney) of Belfast, and brother Royce Penney of Burnham. Marguerite is survived by her husband Roy, son Darrell Ward and his partner Betty-Jo Spinney of Freedom, daughter Roxanne Ward of Belfast, grandson Aaron Ward, his wife Jessica Ward and great-grandchildren Landon Ward and Adeline Ward of Greenbush, and family friends Ruth Drew of Freedom, and Frances Ward of Albion. A graveside service will be held at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Freedom at 1:00pm on May 27, 2018 followed by a celebration of life at Roy and Marguerite’s.