Dorothy Ward (13 Feb 1936 - 26 Sep 2022)

WARD
Formerly Cass
Nee Walton
Dorothy
On 26th September 2022, passed away at Pinderfields Hospital, of Thornhill, aged 86 years, Dorothy, beloved wife of the late Kenneth, loving mum of Graham, Andrew, Lorraine, Christian and the late Jonathan, a very dear mother-in-law, grandma, great grandma and great great grandma. Funeral service will take place at St Paulinus RC Church on Friday 28th October 2022 at 10.30am, followed by committal at Dewsbury Moor Crematorium. Friends please gather at church. Family flowers only please donations in lieu may be made online or sent to George Brooke Ltd for the benefit of Diabetes UK.
Dorothy was born on the 13th February 1936, (a Thursday although Mum always thought it was a Friday). She was the second child of Matilda (nee Toole) and Ernest Walton and had four other siblings: Desmond (1932), Peter (1938), June (1940) & Geoffrey (1946). They all lived in Thornhill, Dewsbury.

Dorothy’s Mum passed away on the 5th of June 1951 aged 39 years and this put a huge strain on the young family.

Dorothy had lots of childhood friends, one being Molly Pickles and they had many adventures in the area around where they lived.
They paddled in the streams and dammed them up, scrumped for apples, picked blackberries to make a pie, then ate most of them on their way home. (Mum had many found memories of those times).

Mums Aunty Kathleen, (who was like a sister to her), played a big part in her life.

Dorothy was married early, at the age of 17, (in 1953), to Reginald Cass.

Her first son, Graham Anthony Cass, was born on August 12th 1953 (two months after the wedding), followed by the birth of Andrew David Cass (16 August 1955) and then Lorraine Delcia Cass came into the world on the 21st September 1956.

They lived in Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, (at that time a small mill town community).

Dorothy and Reginald later divorced and she moved to Batley where she married Kenneth Ward in 1964,

Dorothy went on to have two more children, Johnathan (who died at birth) and later Christian Paul who was born in 1966.
Many children were fostered by Ken and Dorothy. There were Susan, Anita and John to name but a few. She was also considered a mother figure by many including Terry Firth who is attending today

Dorothy worked in the rag trade and at Fox’s biscuits, Batley for many years and was also an auxiliary nurse at Dewsbury hospital. Later she worked as a school escort for children with special needs.

Dorothy was confirmed during the Easter vigil on the 25th March 1989.

St Mary’s Theater group was one of the things she took pleasure in. She took part in many shows and another hobby was playing bingo at various clubs.

Father O’Conner was a long time friend and the family priest who helped Dorothy in her last weeks with kind words and prayers.

In 1991 she started to attend creative writing classes, turned out some amazing work and met many more good friends.

Dorothy & Ken had many grandchildren and great grand children and, dare we mention, Great great grand children.

Her granddaughter Allanna was brought up by Ken and Dorothy from 1997 and spent many happy years under their loving care until fledging the nes,t but never lived far from her nana’s.

Dorothy went to visit Australia and some of the Walton clan who moved there in the early 70s. They were never far from her thoughts.

She would tell Graham tales of her early childhood and the love and warmth of her grand parents and her proud Irish ancestry and she visited Ireland to see the places where her kin had lived.

Before Ken’s death, Geoff Catlin was asked to look after Dorothy’s garden. Well, Geoff did and spent many a happy hour with mum. He did a great deal to look after her and was treated like a son. Mum said ‘he swears like a trooper but you will not find anyone with a bigger heart’.

Dorothy had a zest for life and would often say ‘I will live to be a hundred’. Her mind was sharp but her body failed in the end.
One thing is for certain she loved every one of her friends and relatives to the same degree and her death will leave a gigantic hole in many lives. God rest her soul.xxx