May H Ward

May H. Ward 1931-2025 May H. Ward passed away at the Maine Health Memorial Hospital in North Conway, NH, on February 13th, 2025. She was 93 years old. May was born on October 29, 1931, to Fred and Adelaide Mann Hill in Fryeburg, ME. She attended Fryeburg schools and graduated from Fryeburg Academy in 1950. After graduation, she worked in billing and accounting for an insurance company and a telephone company, and she also served as Town Clerk for Fryeburg. Additionally, she worked for the Fryeburg Fair, registering animals. Her love for the Fryeburg Fair lasted her entire life. In 1953, May married the love of her life, J. Clifford “Wardie” Ward, Jr., and moved to Madison, NH, where she became a full-time homemaker. Together, they raised two children: a daughter, Teresa “Terry,” and a son, Steven. Their marriage was a true partnership, with May sharing a school bus route with Wardie early in their marriage. Later, she became a bookkeeper for her husband's family business, Madison Garage. They enjoyed traveling, fishing, and camping together. May lovingly nursed Wardie through a long battle with cancer until his passing in 1989. Family was very important to May, beginning with her role as “big sister” to her younger siblings. She extended hospitality, organized family gatherings, cared for elderly relatives, and stayed connected through phone calls and greeting cards for every occasion. She cherished being a grandmother and felt especially lucky to have met, held, and gotten to know her great-grandsons. May loved to share stories with her family, especially about living through the Great Depression, World War II, and the Brownfield fires of 1947. She adored holidays, decorating her home for every season, and cooking delicious holiday meals for her family and guests. She was famous for her annual Halloween open house, featuring homemade donuts and apple cider. In addition to her love for family, May was deeply committed to her community. A woman of faith, she was an active member of Madison Church. For decades, she participated in all activities of the Philathea Class, serving as secretary for many years. She taught Sunday School, cooked for church suppers, baked cakes for the annual donation, created items for craft fairs, worked on yard sales, sewed children's choir robes, hosted funeral receptions, and packed Christmas boxes for shut-ins. May loved gardening and was a member of the Madison Garden Club. An avid reader, she enjoyed hosting programs as a member of the Friends of Madison Library. She provided rides for the elderly through Neighbors Helping Neighbors and participated in Madison Historical Society programs. Each year, she immersed herself in the Madison Old Home Week activities, and enjoyed her connections with the Women's Breakfast Group. May was predeceased by her parents; her husband, Wardie; her sister, Carolyn Louise Walsh of Portland, ME; her brother, Fred S. Hill of Medway, OH; her sister, Mona Boulanger of Somersworth, NH; her brother, Raymond C. Hill of Scarborough, ME; and her infant sister, Elizabeth Hill of Fryeburg, ME. She is survived by her daughter, Teresa Cotton and her husband Richard of South Portland, ME; her son, Steven Ward of Madison, NH; her granddaughter, Jessie Lemieux and her husband Adam of Cumberland, ME; her grandson, Jonathan Cotton and his wife Gina of Saco, ME; her great-grandsons, Owen and Julian Lemieux of Cumberland, ME; her sister, Mildred Lunt of Glastonbury, CT; her sister-in-law, Priscilla Ward of Madison, NH; her sister-in-law, Judith Hill of Scarborough, ME; and 15 nieces and nephews and their families. Please join us in sharing memories of May at a Celebration of Life Service at Madison Church, 53 Conway Rd, Madison, NH, on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 2:00 PM. Burial will take place at the Lyman Cemetery on High Street in Madison, NH. A reception will follow at Madison Church. Arrangements were made through Furber Funeral Home and Cremation Services. For those who may wish to donate in May's memory, we suggest the Madison Church General Fund, P.O. Box 119, Madison, NH.