Mary June Ward

Mary June lived with a bright, searching mind and a steady sense of grace. Widely regarded as the smartest person we know, she carried her intelligence with quiet elegance—grounded, welcoming, and never separated from kindness. Her deepest values were captured in a motto she returned to again and again: a belief in fairness and equality. As she said, “I realize we all have different strengths, but we each have immense value and deserve to be treated with honesty, and kindness.”

Her gifts were evident early on. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in applied math, graduating Magna cum laude, and later completed a Masters Degree in liberal arts. She was also a great swimmer—strong in body as well as in spirit, moving through life with poise and determination.

Mary June built a life of purpose and capability: she worked as an abstractor, became a business woman, and later taught humanities at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In every setting, her strength showed not in volume, but in clarity—an ability to see what mattered, to hold people to what was right, and to do so with warmth and respect.

She shared nearly 70 years of marriage with her husband, Robert H. Ward. Together they built the large, loving family Mary June always hoped for—and she cherished it. She is survived by her sons, Robert K, Frank J, and John S Ward, and her daughter, Mary Lou Gallo; and by her grandchildren: Susie Sieler, Kathleen Lambert, Sandra Ball, Frank Ward, William Ward, Caroline Ward, Jillian Ward, and Lisa Ward; as well as six great grandchildren.

Mary June’s days were enriched by what she loved: family, gardening, books, classical music, opera, and traveling, especially to Europe. She found beauty in both the everyday and the extraordinary, and she brought that sense of beauty into the lives around her—with a presence that was loving, elegant, and deeply reassuring.

Her faith and community were important to her, and she was part of St Paul’s United Methodist Church in Papillion, Nebraska.

A Funeral Service will be held at St Paul's United Methodist Church, 324 S Jackson Street, Papillion, Nebraska 68046, on Friday July 31, 2026, at 10:00 am. A Committal Service will follow at Cedar Dale Cemetery, Papillion.

Memorials contributions are suggested to the Robert H. and Mary June Ward Scholarship Fund at St Paul’s United Methodist Church.

Mary June’s children and grandchildren loved her deeply and are profoundly grateful to have had her healthy, strong, and loving for so very long—nearly 99 years of joy she brought to this world. Her legacy is not only in the impressive arc of her life, but in the way she taught, by example, that strength can be gentle, that brilliance can be humble, and that every person deserves to be met with honesty, kindness, and respect.