ANITA WARD

WARD ANITA RUTH WILSON WARD Anita Ruth Wilson Ward died June 10, 2020, at the end of a valiant journey with Lewy Body Dementia. Loving wife to Gordon Ward and exemplary mother to four children Kevin (Jay) Ward, Diane (Nicholas) Castle, Sean (Jodie) Rubenstein Ward and Susanne (Robert) Lindgren. Anita was born on July 8, 1934 in Madison, Wisconsin daughter of Walter Thiell Wilson and Esther Scheel Wilson. She had a love for nature, all creatures, books and silliness, with a distinct and contagious laugh that she shared generously. Anita had a keen intellectual curiosity, and a brilliant mind. Adventures on the family dairy farm in Wisconsin and living in rural California provided ample opportunity for the exploration and learning that she relished and shared with sister Bonnie. To celebrate arrival of brother Paul, she wrote poems and songs to serenade him. Anita graduated Valedictorian from both Sequoia Union High School in Redwood City, CA (1952) and the University of Maryland (1956, BS Secondary Science Education, Phi Kappa Phi President, Alpha Gamma Delta). She attended a sorority dance with a dashing Air Force Officer that sparked a romance that would grow and last through eternity. Gordon and Anita were married at the Maryland Memorial Chapel in 1956 and settled in Adelphi, MD. Anita was an engaged and active mother to her four children. Regularly added to the household were a rotating menagerie of pets including fish, gerbil, hamster, rabbit, snake, mice and always a cat and a dog. She shared her love of and talents for reading, gardening, music, art and sewing with many. As Den Mother, Girl Scout Troop Leader and 4-H Leader, she created opportunities for many children to travel, hike, bike, camp and explore the world resulting in lifelong skills still in use today. Anita was especially excited to continue this tradition as Nana to her beautiful granddaughters Bonnie, Ruby and Lucy Lindgren. As a citizen activist she spent many volunteer hours working to ensure the sanctity of our environment. She received an award from the American Lung association for her contributions to the I-95 study that resulted in moving construction of the highway away from populated areas. She was an avid recycler, composter and energy conservationist. Professionally, she developed an outdoor education curriculum for the state of Maryland K-6 schools. She received a paralegal certificate and was highly regarded by law firms in DC for her research and writing on environmental issues in the natural gas industry. Later she worked for the Georgetown University Biology department researching iris hybridization and the ecology of the Potomac River basin. In retirement she was President of the Riderwood Garden Club and worked on a committee to develop energy conservation measures in the community. Anita was an active parishioner of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Silver Spring helping to host beautiful welcome dinners for new members and gatherings of all ages. Her belief in God was steadfast and to the end. Anita's last great gift was the donation of her body to biomedical science. We are grateful for Anita's life and the positive impact she has had on the life of others and the world around us. Anita is predeceased by sister Bonnie Kutschenreuter, brother-in-law Mervin Ward, son-in-law Matthew Evans, nephews Curtis Kutschenreuter and Brien Ward, and granddaughter Catrina Rubenstein Ward. She is survived by her four children and their spouses, three grandchildren, brother Paul (Linda Farris) Wilson, Sister-in-law Barbara Ward, Brother-in-law Pete Kutschenreuter and nieces Lesley (Mark) Frana, Pam Ward, Kathleen Kutschenreuter (Lou Ann Sandstrom) and Kathryn (Joshua) Sklar and a host of adopted family and friends. Funeral was held on Friday, July 23 at the Old Post Chapel on Fort Myer followed immediately by burial at Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in her memory to the Gordon and Anita Ward Memorial at St. Luke Lutheran Church, Silver Spring MD, (https://saintluke.us/); Alzheimer's Association or Lewy body Dementia Association (leda.org).(https://saintluke.us/); Alzheimer's Association or Lewy body Dementia Association (leda.org).