Lois McDonald Ward

Lois Carol Williams McDonald Ward, 81, passed away peacefully on June 19th, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. Lois was born on March 24,1944 in Perryton, TX to Chester Herbert and Mattie Maibelle Williams. Her grandparents were John Francis and Minnie Williams of Energy, Texas and Ferdinand and Sudie Waggoner of Hamilton, Texas. Lois Carol, as she was known as a child, grew up in Perryton, Texas, where her father was a teacher and an agricultural agent who in 1936 was hired to teach conservation techniques to farmers after the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

As a child, Lois overcame Polio, demonstrating at a young age the resilience of her character. After graduating from Perryton High School in 1962, Lois went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Psychology in 1966. After graduating from college, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she started her first job in social work. In Atlanta, she met Benjamin Beebe McDonald III of Jacksonville, Florida. They married in Perryton, Texas in 1967 and had their first child, Leigh in 1969, followed by Sarah in 1970, Ben in 1975, and Amanda in 1977. After her husband Ben McDonald’s passing in 1990, she met and in 1992 married Donald Gene Ward of Tampa, Florida.

Lois was predeceased by her first husband, Ben McDonald, her father and her mother, Chester and Maibelle Williams, her sister, Sue Waide, and her brother, Bob Williams. Lois is survived by her husband, Don Ward; her children from her marriage to Ben McDonald: Leigh Boulineau (Frank), Sarah McDonald (Heidi), Ben McDonald (Sherry), and Amanda McDonald; two step-children, Deborah Iacolino and DJ Ward; 4 grandchildren, Noah, Jude, Lily and Bodie, two step-grandchildren, Nicholas and Matthew Ward, and one step-great-grandson, Dean Timothy Ward.

Lois filled her days by giving back to others, and she had a great impact on each person she met. She volunteered in shelters and community outreach programs and, after raising four children, found a career in social work at Jacksonville Health and Human Services and at DESC (Downtown Ecumenical Services Council). Lois was an active member of Riverside Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon and an elder. Through her church she was a lay minister and leader of Stephen Ministries, a pastoral organization that offers care for individuals who request support. Lois was courageous, inspirational, kind, funny, and full of love for all people. Lois was known for her beautiful smile, her warmth, and the loving spirit she brought into the world. She taught her children that “pretty is as pretty does,” a motto that she herself exemplified perfectly. She was as strong and fun as she was beautiful and loving.

A memorial service for Lois will be held at Riverside Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, FL at 11:00 am on Saturday, July 19th, 2025. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Riverside Presbyterian Church or Downtown Ecumenical Services Council of Jacksonville.