Mrs. Doris Ward

Obituary For Mrs. Doris Ward

Ms. Doris Y Ward passed. Celebration of Life will be held Friday, January 11, 2019 11:00am at Central United Methodist Church 501 Mitchell Street SW Atlanta Ga 30314. Interment will follow at Carver Memorial Cemetery. Remains in state 9:30am.

Doris Yvonne Ward departed this life on Thursday, January 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. She was born in Carrollton, Georgia on May 24, 1934. She attended the Scott’s Kindergarten, Ashby Street Elementary School, David T. Howard 7th Grade School and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School with the Class of 1952. After high school, Doris attended Clark College. Later, she enrolled and graduated from Ft. Valley State College with a BA degree in Elementary Education. Advanced work was done at Columbia University’s Teachers College. The scope and depth of her musical contributions span most of her life. Doris demonstrated talent as a musician very early. She took piano lessons from Ms. Daisey White, who made sure that she learned the instrument in a proficient manner through the New England Conservatory Method. In piano recitals, she performed music by Mozart, Hanon, and Rachmaninov. This training led to her being hired as a music teacher later in life. Her teaching career spanned more than 40 years in the Atlanta Public Schools System as a music teacher. She taught at John Wesley Dobbs, Lena Jean Campbell, T. H Slater, and Tull Waters Elementary Schools. 14 of those years were spent at Waters where she maintained a close relationship with the staff after retirement and the “lunch bunch”. During the years at Waters, she annually took her elementary choruses to the Georgia Educators Music Association’s Choral Festival where her children consistently received Superior and Excellent ratings. After retiring from the Atlanta Public Schools, Doris worked an additional 10 years at Neiman Marcus-Atlanta where she became retirement vested. She is well loved and respected in the Lenox Square Mall Community. A worldly woman, Doris was an avid traveler. She visited Europe (3 times), Asia, Africa (twice), South America, and Australia. Each year she enjoyed going to New York City to see the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Times Square or seeing an off-Broadway production. She encourages everyone she meets to travel and see the world. One of her favorite sayings were, “You live only once, so go for the gusto!”. A fun-loving person, Doris enjoyed the continued socializing with the persons that she graduated with from high school and work world. She enjoyed the activities of the Booker T. Washington Class of 1952 AND the David T. Howard Class of 1952. Doris can be found to be the life of the party in any given situation. One of her favorite activities was taking dance lessons every Tuesday at the Emma Darnell Center. She also enjoyed going downtown to the public library to read current events to share with others. Doris Ward loved her family! She was particularly fond of her three nephews (Allen, Douglas, and Christopher families and their children! Her grandnephew (Allen Zuri) and grandniece (Eiden Alyia) were the “apple of her eye” and brought her great happiness. Doris was a long-time faithful member of Central United Methodist Church. She joined the church under Bishop L. Allen. She has worked with the Sunday School Ministry and the Hospitality Ministry. Doris loved her church. She was a faithful member of the Woman’s Society of Christian Service, the organization that later became the United Methodist Women. She also enjoyed being in the Doves organization at Central. One of her favorite old-school church saying was, “No church meeting should start without a bible, a hymnal, and the Book of Discipline”. Doris was the daughter of the late Mr. Allen Ward Sr. and Christine Patrick Ward. She is survived by Son, Victor Anthony Davis, Brother; Allen Ward Jr. (Sharolyn Dianne); Three nephews Allen Arthur (Johari), Douglas Patrick (Tavia), and Christopher Joseph; Grandnephew Allen Z., Grandniece Eiden A., her very close friend Rudine Avery; Cousins Michael Gale, Bowie, Maryland, Keith Lawrence, Hinesville, Tennessee, Hernando Harvey, Atlanta, Georgia, C.B. Ward Carrollton, Georgia, Virgil Demery, Winston Salem, North Carolina, extended family and friends.