Annie Dodds Guthrie Ward (Nan);
On September 6th, 2008 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in her 92nd year. Nan was born on October 19, 1916 in Galashiels, Scotland, to William and Elizabeth (Jackson) Guthrie. She worked as a young girl in the family fish and chip shops and bakeries. Her excellence in traditional Scottish dancing led to an invitation to join the famous “Border Maidens”. Following the death of her oldest brother Ray, the family emigrated in 1927 and settled in Guelph. Nan was a quick student and finished her grade 12 at Guelph Collegiate Institute at the age of 15. She then took Special Commercial because one needed to be 16 years old before leaving school. In 1932, the family moved to Galt, and her father opened up a new bakery business on Main Street. That year she met the opposition bakery’s eldest son John James Ward (Jack). They married in 1937 and refurbished an old cottage/chicken house on the West River Road. While Jack was overseas during WW II, Nan supervised the shipping department at Canadian General Tower. Upon his return she left the business world, and devoted her considerable talents and energy to her family and her husband’s newly formed partnership with his brother Fred, the Home Maintenance Company, that later became Ward Brothers’ Specialties. Volleyball was a passion, and Nan played twice a week at the YMCA until her mid seventies. She also shared a love of swimming with Jack and continued her aquatic exercises in the St. Luke’s pool until the age of 91. Their retirement years were enriched with trips to Britain and Israel and numerous camping excursions, including every province in Canada and many of the United States. Nan nursed and cared for her mother for seven years and supported her beloved Jack through a long illness until his death in 1984. Throughout her life her family was paramount. She selflessly dedicated her time and prayers to her extended family. She was predeceased by her parents and by her two brothers, Andrew (Ray) and Alexander (Gordon). Lovingly remembered by her son Jack, and his wife Joyce (Kohli) and their children Gwen Armshaw (Dave), Jamie (Belinda), Amy Worth (Jeff) and Robin Knight (Thomas); her daughter Linda Purdy and her daughters Janet Purdy and Laura McCullough (Scott); and 13 great- grand- children, Eric and Edward Armshaw; Aedan, Colm, and Rory Ward; Bronwen, Madelyn, Piper and Rowen Knight; Garrett and Laura Ward Worth; and Gavin and Rachel McCullough. She is also survived by nieces and nephews Marilyn Schaus (Guthrie), Nan Makcrow (Guthrie), Peter Guthrie, Gail Ryan (Guthrie), Elizabeth Forsythe (Guthrie), Wayne Ward, Sandra Ward, Carm Demarte, Paul Demarte, Jan Coelho (Demarte), Nancy Young (Rosenberg), Grieg Rosenberg, and Melanie Robertson (Rosenberg). A memorial service will take place at St. Luke’s Auditorium on Saturday, September 13th, 2008, at 2 p.m. Donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Lounsbury Funeral Home, Cambridge.
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