Kathleen A. Ward "Kathy" (nee Turbitt) passed away on August 27, 2021. She is the beloved wife of John J. Ward. Devoted mother of Jennifer McGivern (Stephen) and John E. Ward (Susana). Loving Mimi to Jessica McGivern, Natalie McGivern, Kathryn Ward, and James Ward. Dear sister of Bonnie Carlin (Al), Eileen Carr (Michael), and sister in law of Tom Ward, Frank Ward (Chris), Joe Ward (Leslie), and Cathy Miller (Jim). Sadly missed by her nieces and nephews.
Kathy was born and spent her younger years in Fishtown. At the age of 13, she moved to Oxford Circle with her mother. She wasn’t happy about the move until that first year when she met the love of her life, John, while walking home from school as a freshman at Little Flower High School. She and John were happily married for 52 years raising two children, two dogs, two iguanas, and two parrots. In their early years together, they lived briefly in Fort Bragg, NC while John was in the Army. They bought their first home in the Wissinoming section of Philadelphia and eventually settled back into Oxford Circle. After their children were raised and on their own, they moved to North Cape May, NJ to live out their retirement dream. Kathy loved having her grandchildren at the shore and loved to make them laugh and giggle. They were her pride and joy.
Kathy always wanted to become a nurse. With the support of her husband she went to nursing school when her children were 6 and 4 years old which was no easy task. This was an accomplishment she was most proud of. She loved her job as an O.R. nurse and loved to make her coworkers laugh. You’d often hear people say, “Kathy, you blow my mind”! Her antics and jokes were legendary! Oh the stories she had —ALL TRUE!!! She loved cooking, her garden, and her kitchen gadgets. She was well known for her collection of pig trinkets and loved anything with a pig on it. Any child that knew Kathy loved her pocketbooks which were a treasure trove for candy and gum. She loved fishing with Capt Bob and not too long ago caught a monster striper. She was dedicated to and loved her all of her family. She was full of joy when she was surrounded by those she loved dearly especially during the holidays. Christmas was her favorite holiday followed by July 4th when her family and friends would come to see the fireworks display from her house. She loved music, dancing, and parties often outlasting the younger generations who couldn’t keep up with her. Anyone who knew her loved her. She will be greatly missed.
Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing and funeral Friday September 3, 2021 from 10-11:15am in Holy Name of Jesus Church 701 Gaul Street (at Berks) Philadelphia PA 19125, Fishtown. Funeral mass 11:30am. A private burial will take place at a later date. For anyone wishing to make a memorial donation, the family respectfully requests that they be sent to the Scleroderma Research Foundation 220 Montgomery Street, Suite 484 San Francisco, CA 94104 or https://srfcure.org
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Kathleen A. (Turbitt) Ward, please visit our floral store.