Barbara Joan Ward

Barbara Joan (BJ) Ward, loving and devoted wife, friend, mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother, died March 5, 2019. She was born in Dallas, TX, on August 1, 1930, to Jewel Wallace and Joseph O. Boudreaux, Jr. She attended St. Agnes Academy in Memphis, TN, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, TX, and earned a degree in education from the University of Texas at Austin, where she pledged Tri-Delt and was named one of the Ten Most Beautiful. In 1948, she married John Robert Norris, Jr. and taught the 2nd grade, a great pleasure to her while he finished law school. They moved to Dallas in 1954, and having lost both of her parents, raised her 9-year-old brother, Joe Boudreaux, III, while bringing up four children of their own.

BJ counted her family and friends as far and away the greatest joy of her life. For the last 34 years, she was married to Fletcher William Ward. Together they enjoyed traveling, card games, cheering on the Cowboys and a love of music. Her grandchildren will remember their “Granny BJ” for “Candy Night” sleepovers and week-long “cousin summer camps” in Colorado.

She created lasting friendships in many settings over the years from her tennis playing days and sailboat trips in the Bahamas, to weekly bridge games and Sunday Mass at Perkins Chapel, to her community in Pagosa Springs, CO. Notable is her treasured “Poker Club”, whose members have shared life and love for the last 60 years. Health and fitness were an enduring passion, and she was well known for starting one of the first exercise studios in Dallas in the early 1980s, which began many years before with a few friends in her living room, exercising to songs on the family juke box.

BJ gave back to her community in a multitude of ways, including her work at the Salvation Army. She earned the Salvation Army’s Servant Heart Award for her decades-long help organizing their annual style show fundraiser. She was a member of The Dallas Woman’s Club, The Dallas Garden Club, Junior League of Dallas and was a Crystal Charity Ball Ten Best Dressed Hall of Famer. She was proud to be a long time student of Dr. Louise Cowan at The University of Dallas.

BJ was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Joe. She is survived by her loving husband, Fletcher; her sons John Robert Norris III (Jan), Stephen Boudreaux Norris (Debbie), and Patrick Lawson Norris (Gina), and daughter Carol Ann Norris; and by her stepdaughters Kathy Ward Collins (Mike), Leslie Ward White (Bill), and Gail Standish Ward, and by stepson Barry English Ward (Karen); 14 grandchildren and 9 greatgrandchildren.

BJ wanted to be sure to express her deepest gratitude and love to all her unwavering friends, family and caregivers, who were an invaluable help to her during her illness.

Visitation: Monday, March 11, from 6-8pm. Memorial Service: Tuesday, March 12, at 12pm, with reception to follow. Both are at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home, 7405 West Northwest Highway, Dallas. Co-officiants: Monsignor Don Fischer and Father Arthur Unachukwu. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the Salvation Army or Catholic Ministry at SMU.