Nancy Kay (Myers) Ward’s life full of adventures with family and friends was cut short by cancer on September 11, 2021. Nancy was born in Cleves, OH, on May 11, 1949. She was raised with blurred lines between family and friends from the start, as a member of one of three deeply connected neighbor families that formed the core of her world. She lived her life with generosity, empathy, kindness, humor, music, and fun, which were cultivated by her beloved parents, Virginia and Clyde Myers. She attended Taylor High School, Butler University, and The Ohio State University, where she met her life companion, Dave, on a blind date. They fell in love and were married on the day after Christmas in 1971. Nancy’s boundless heart was reflected in her many roles. She was a devoted wife of 50 years, part of a tight-knit sorority with her two sisters, and the most natural, instinctive mother to her two daughters, their friends, and a few very lucky dogs. Because of her giving nature, she easily developed lasting friendships throughout her life, which she valued greatly. She volunteered countless hours to Bozeman Public Schools and to the Museum of the Rockies.
Nancy was a brilliant detective, solving the crimes in books or shows long before anyone else, and put her investigative skills to good use as a talented trip planner. Her colorful and playful personality was expressed through her adventurous nature, and she traveled extensively and fearlessly throughout the world. She loved the ocean, and some of her favorite memories were of cruises with her sisters and watching the humpback whales in Maui.
Nancy’s first priority was the happiness of others over her own. Her selflessness extended throughout her illness as she participated in a clinical trial to contribute to the battle against cancer, and her greatest wish is for those surviving her to contribute to children's cancer research.
She is deeply loved and missed by her surviving family - husband, David Morgan Ward; daughters, Molly Jane Ward (Sten Iversen) and Abigail Virginia Ward; sisters, Susan Lee Silbermann (Phil Stock) and Pamela Jane Myers Hackmann, Jim Hackmann; nephew, Max Hackmann (Erin); and grandnephews, Owen and Fox.
A Celebration of Nancy’s Life will be held on the lawn at Pilgrim Congregational Church (2118 S. 3rd Ave, Bozeman) from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. on Friday, September 17. At 2:30 P.M. there will be a brief ceremony. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of following organizations: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (donate at www.stjude.org [stjude.org] and email donors@stjude.org to request that your donation be directed to research) or Ronald McDonald House in Cincinnati, OH (www.rmhcincinnati.org [rmhcincinnati.org]) or in Rochester, MN (www.rmhmn.org [rmhmn.org] ).
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service.
