Marilyn Teresa Ward

kind, forever loved and adored mother, grandmother, aunt, friend and monster-in-law, Marilyn

Teresa Ward (nee Scheller), on Tuesday, April 11th, 2023.

Marilyn above all, was a one in a million grandmother giving everything she was into having

meaningful relationships with each one of her grandchildren. Before her grandchildren were

born, she devoted herself to her two girls and the many children that she worked with

throughout school district 33 as an Education assistant. She had been known for going above

and beyond for the people in her life, constantly working towards providing a better life for

those around her.

Marilyn struggled for years with her diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis as she fought her own body

to even do the little things that she enjoyed doing.

As her daughters grew older and started families of their own, she was able to

be involved with children again. From having a snuggle to going for ice cream - saying “yes”

when mom said “no”, and pushing herself to do better for her grandchildren. From the

perspective of the grandchildren she was their “safe space”, always a middle ground and a

comforting voice on the other end of the phone. Pulling all nighters with the grandkids playing

games, binge watching their favourite shows, or truly anything that the grandkids wanted to do just to spend time with them and love them just a little longer.

Perhaps, the reason why she loved the grandchildren so much was that they loved her exactly

how she was with no questions, and for that it gave her the motivation she needed to press through things as hard as she did.

A Poem for Grandma

Grandma, you were just a girl, So many years ago.

You had your loves and had your dreams,

You watched us come and go.

You watched us make the same mistakes,

And love us all the more.

We haven’t always thought about

The things that you have seen.

To us you’ve just been “Grandma”,

No thought of who you’ve been.

But we remember now in love,

Your life from start to end,

And we’re just glad we knew you,

As a grandma, and as a friend.

By Unknown

Just a handful of years before her passing she was predeceased by her father, Clarence

Scheller (2015) and her mother, Ruth Scheller (2019). Marilyn struggled significantly with the

loss of her parents and the effects of not having her mom and dad that she was so close to

near anymore. After a very short battle with an aggressive cancer, she left her beloved children

and grandchildren to be with her parents again. Shortly after her passing, her one and only

sister Pat McRae succumbed to cancer as well.

Marilyn never sought the spotlight, though she touched so many lives and will forever be

remembered for her compassion, kindness and empathy for the individuals she loved so

deeply. Left to mourn her are her two daughters Crystal (Eric) Alekson and Stacie Ward, her

grandchildren Drew, Allyssa and Ethan Ward, Dexter and Alexander Alekson, Chloe Scott and

Harlend Gray; as well as nieces. Loved and mentionable friends that were like family - Colleen

McDaniel, Christa & Dave Petty, and Wendy & Scott Lockhart.

There’s a kind of grief that never really leaves.

A quiet ache that settles into the deepest parts of you.

You move forward. You smile again. You live.

But there’s a piece of you that always wonders—

What if they were still here?

What would they say about your life now?

Would they be proud of the way you’ve grown?

Would they still know how to comfort you, like they used to?

Would your heart feel a little less heavy if they were just one phone call away?

Losing a parent too soon is more than just a loss—

It’s a before and after.

It’s learning how to keep going without your anchor.

It’s reaching milestones with both joy and a quiet sorrow.

It’s parenting your own child and realizing, I can’t call them to ask how they did this.

It’s grief that shows up uninvited.

At holidays. At random songs. At the grocery store.

At moments when the world expects you to be fine—but your heart is not.

You didn’t get enough time. And nothing about that is fair.

But look at you. Still here. Still standing. Still loving.

Still living in a world that feels colder without them.

That takes courage. That takes strength.

And even if they’re not here in the ways you wish they were—

I believe they’re with you in the ways that matter most.

In your voice when you speak softly.

In your hands when you comfort your child.

In the strength they left behind inside you.

You are their legacy.

And I know- they would be so proud of you.

Author Unknown