Delores "Dee" Eileene Ward was born on September 29, 1940, in Washington, D.C., to Connie L. Young and Edna Walton (Brumback) Young. She was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, where she developed a lifelong love of dancing to rock and roll music. Dee attended Alexandria City schools and graduated with the Class of 1959.

On June 2, 1961, she married the love of her life, Joseph E. Ward, in Alexandria, Virginia. Together they built a loving home centered on faith, family, and service to others. Over the years, Dee and Joe opened their hearts as foster parents to thirteen children, providing love, guidance, and stability to every child who entered their home.

Throughout her career, Dee served as a dedicated secretary for several organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education, NASA, the U.S. Army Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Arlington County Personnel Department, Arlington First Church of the Nazarene, and the Arlington County Fire Department. She often shared the special memory of presenting astronaut John Glenn with his flight papers before the historic Friendship 7 mission on February 20, 1962. Later in life, after moving to Oklahoma, she changed careers and worked in the jewelry department at Walmart in Pauls Valley, where she remained until her retirement in 1994.

After retirement, Dee devoted her time to her family, church, and community. She was an active member of the Foster Area Oklahoma Home and Community Education Club and Antioch Baptist Church. She found great joy in crocheting, canning, gardening, and entering her handmade creations and homegrown produce in county free fairs.

Dee was especially known for her wonderful cooking. While her pickled beets became something of a family favorite, those who knew her would agree that everything she prepared was made with love and quickly became a cherished meal. She took great pride in teaching her daughters how to cook, passing along not only recipes but also the importance of caring for others through food, hospitality, and kindness.

Her greatest joys were her children and grandchildren. She believed deeply in the importance of love, family, and togetherness, and she spent her life teaching those values through both her words and her example. She also enjoyed traveling, especially trips to Glen Echo, Maryland, with her cousin, Vernon Taylor, a rockabilly artist, creating treasured memories along the way.

Dee is survived by her husband, Joseph E. Ward of the home; Daughters, Jeannette Henderson of Edmond, Oklahoma, Amy Porter and husband Jeff of Duncan, Oklahoma; Daughters-in-love, Brenda Jones of Newberg, Maryland, Donna Savel of Sierra Vista, Arizona; Grandchildren, Joshua, Brian, Brenna, Savannah and husband Jacob, Sydney; Great-Grandchild, Elijah; Brothers, Ted Young and wife Robin of Sterling, Virginia; Dennis Young of Nathalie, Virginia.

Dee was preceded in death by her daughter, Connie Louise Ward and parents, Connie and Edna Young.

Graveside services for Dee will be on Monday, August 3, 2026 at 12:00 P.M. at Elmore City Cemetery with Pastor Jimmy Balentine officiating.