Mildred Ward

Mildred Haskell Ward, age 88, of Lakewood, NJ, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, August 19, 2011, at The Bridges at Burnt Tavern in Brick, NJ. She was born on January 27, 1923, in Newark, NJ, the daughter of the late Frank Nathan Haskell and his wife Clara Wurtzbach Haskell and lived in Bernardsville, NJ, before moving to Lakewood in 1986. Mildred graduated from Irvington High School in 1940 and continued on to become a registered nurse in 1944. She was employed by East Orange General Hospital through the 1940s before becoming a dental assistant in Summit in the early 1950s. She married and moved to Tacoma, WA, before returning to NJ, settling in Bernardsville in 1959 to raise her family. In 1974, Mildred returned to a career in nursing, working at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ, until her retirement in 1986 when Mrs. Ward moved to Leisure Village in Lakewood, NJ. She lived there until moving into The Bridges at Burnt Tavern in Brick, NJ, in August of 2010. Her many, creative years were filled with her love of baking, knitting, crocheting, needlepointing, painting ceramics, and cake decorating. Among her proudest artistic achievements were the cakes she made for Morristown National Historical Park and the Somerset Hills Lutheran Church where she was a member. For the Park, Mildred carved and decorated a scale model of the Ford Mansion for the centennial celebration of the National Park Service in 1972 that served 500 people. To commemorate the church s tenth anniversary in 1968, Mrs. Ward carved a replica of the church and its grounds that fed 350 congregation members. In the case of the Ford Mansion cake, the confection was deemed by the park s guests and dignitaries as too pretty to eat. Mildred adored her home and neighborhood on Lloyd Road in Bernardsville where she busied herself with her passions for baking, flower and vegetable gardening, and appreciating the local wildlife. She also found great joy in spending summers in Maine near Acadia National Park where she enjoyed the environment s beaches, mountain views, wildlife, and the local blueberry harvests. Not one to remain idle, Mildred served in her retirement community as the first woman president of the farm club as well as on the governing board for Leisure Village. In addition, she also volunteered at the Leisure Village health office and offered cooking classes for adults. She is survived by her sons Gordon Thomas Ward and his wife Veronica of Pottersville, NJ, and Gary Lester Ward of Maine; her sister Audrey Faust of Lakewood, NJ; two beloved grandchildren Melina Danielle Ward of Boston, MA, and Cory Thomas Ward also of Pottersville; and several close friends whom she considers as close as family. Viewing and visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 24, from 10:00-11:30 a.m., followed by a church service celebrating her life at 11:30 a.m. Both of these will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of New Vernon, 2 Lee s Hill Road, New Vernon, NJ. Burial will immediately follow the service at the Hollywood Memorial Park and Cemetery in Union, NJ. Arrangements are being handled by the Robert L. Ford Funeral Home, #38 Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in her name to New Jersey Audubon, 11 Hardscrabble Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924. Please include Mildred Haskell Ward on the check memo line and mark all mailings to the attention of Mike Anderson, Director, Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary. All of the funds will be used to create a backyard habitat garden at the sanctuary. The garden will educate visitors on the types of native plant and wildflower species that they can grow at their own homes to support the local fauna, one of Mildred s passions in life. Please visit www.fordfuneralhome.com for further information.