Obituary of Barbara S. Ward
Barbara Strantz Ward, aka Mom, Grandma, Big Nana, entered into eternal rest on May 26, 2019. Born October 21, 1930 in Chalmers, IN she was the youngest child of William and Catherine Strantz. Upon graduating high school, she moved to West Lafayette and worked in the Bursar’s Office at Purdue University. While there, she met her neighbor and future husband, John Ward – a NJ native studying at Purdue.
Barbara and John married at Purdue on April 11, 1953 and lived in Madison, IN and Abingdon, VA prior to moving to North Plainfield, NJ in 1959. Barbara was a homemaker until the mid-1970s when she returned to the workforce, ultimately working at and retiring from AT&T in 1995. Retiring to Point Pleasant Beach, NJ she and John enjoyed the “shore life” until their home was destroyed by superstorm Sandy in Oct. 2012 after which they moved to an assisted living community.
Barbara brought a ray of sunshine into the lives of the people she encountered, and she will be well remembered for her bright smile, sparkling eyes, and her genuine optimism and kindness to others.
Barbara was predeceased by her beloved husband John, her daughter Kathleen, and her siblings: Earl Roy, William (Bill), Raymond, Lawrence (Gene), Myress Mathew, and Catherine (Loraine) Stiers. Barbara is survived by her daughter Patti Jo Brautigam (Robert) of Landisville, PA, her son Timothy P. Ward (Steven Cecchettini) of Warren, NJ, granddaughters Kailey Brautigam, and Corey (Kerel) Bradford, and her great-grandson Kastiel Bradford.
A funeral mass of Barbara's cremated remains will be celebrated on Wednesday June 5, 2019 at 10:30 AM at Our Lady of the Mount Roman Catholic Church in Warren, NJ with an open invitation to gather with friends and family at the church beginning at 9:30 AM. Entombment will immediately follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Watchung, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you request a mass for Barbara and John’s intentions at your local Catholic Church, and/or a donation to your preferred charity.