Wow this has been one of the hardest and emotional weeks for me in a long time. This week we lost an amazing friend, former bishop, employer for my children, and one of the most amazing person I have met.
I was so sad to lose a great mentor in my life and my children's life. He will be forever remembered and admired. Being the new Compassionate service leader in the ward I got news Sunday night that Dave had a Stroke and was in the hospital in a coma. Word started coming in that he had a massive Stroke and that he was not coming out of the coma. The doctors ran test and found that he had leukemia. Dave never had known about this Leukemia. Wendy and his three daughters stayed around the clock with Dave until he passed on Tuesday evening.
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| Dallan when he graduated from Seminary with Dave Ward |
On Tuesday I felt like I needed to go to the hospital and see the needs of the family and this great man. I saw Dave and my heart was torn. His family were surrounding this great man. They requested that no more visitors come that day and so I was one of the last visitors that got to see Dave. The family were going to spend the last of their time with Dave just as a close family. Dave passed away that night at 7:30 p.m.
The entire week for me was such a sad time to remember this great man and then I needed to get busy and get the luncheon ready for his funeral. Plans went out quick and volunteers started pouring in asking what they could do to help. We had a lot of organizing to do and things to get ready. I was so busy it helped to take away the sadness during this time.
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| Dave and Wendy Ward at girls camp |
On Friday night they had the viewing and it was well attended. Gary and I went early to beat the crowds but everyone had this thought. The viewing was scheduled from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. but because he was so loved it ended up being from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Leslie Christensen and I had decided to put together a memory book with all the stories of Dave. It has been fun to hear all the great memories.
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| Dave when he was our bishop |
Dave had that amazing gift of everyone feeling they were his favorite. He had the ability to make everyone feel important and loved. It was so touching to hear the stories of numerous events that he had helped and reached out to someone. Personally for me he has reached out to my children. My children loved this man so much. My son Dallan worked with Dave since he was 16 years old at McDonalds and then Culvers. They had a great connection. Kelsey also worked for Dave at Culvers and then Jordan worked for Culvers. He helped my children see the joy in work. He said that Kelsey was his favorite custard girl, Dallan was the master in the back and he became a manager and Jordan he had cleaning up in the front area and he was so sweet to Jordan and let him know how he felt he could count on him to do a great job. He was a great Mentor!
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| Dave and Wendy Ward |
It means so much to a mom to have other adults touch your children's lives for good. I am so grateful for this Man. The funeral was amazing on Saturday. I have never been to a funeral that was so crowded and had so many flowers. We filled our Stake Center from the front of the chapel way back to the stage and still people had to stand in the hall. He had touched so many people in his lifetime. His sister gave his life sketch and told some stories none of us had ever heard before on how Dave Ward actually was a prankster. It was a different side of Dave that we never would have known. His daughters shared some wonderful memories of growing up. Kennedee the youngest daugter told about how she was so scared to have her ears pierced and so her dad told her that we would go with her and he would have his ears pierced first to help her so she would not be afraid. Now that is an a amazing dad. There was other wonderful dad stories.
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| Table decorations that the sisters made |
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| Tons of flowers |
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| Some of the displays |
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| More Displays |
Wendy's dad also talked and then our Stake President Bangerter spoke and then Elder Keetch from the seventies. That talk was so great and touched my heart. He spoke directly to Wendy and her daughters and it was one of the best talks I had ever heard. He explained how that Dave was just on another mission and that he is still alive and here with us. I would have loved a copy of that talk because it really put death into prospective in such a great way.
The last of this emotional week was on Sunday. We were scheduled to have Ward Conference but due to Dave's funeral they are postponing it until later. They asked Dallan to come and they had another extension of the funeral. They had former bishopric members speak, and the Relief Society President speak and Dallan spoke as one of the youth that worked with Dave. Dallan did a fantastic job. Wow What a week!
I was so sad to lose a great mentor in my life and my children's life. He will be forever remembered and admired. Being the new Compassionate service leader in the ward I got news Sunday night that Dave had a Stroke and was in the hospital in a coma. Word started coming in that he had a massive Stroke and that he was not coming out of the coma. The doctors ran test and found that he had leukemia. Dave never had known about this Leukemia. Wendy and his three daughters stayed around the clock with Dave until he passed on Tuesday evening. 
