Kay Cravath Ward

Kay was preceded in death by her parents Lewelyn W. Cravath and Nina Dean Cravath; daughter Nicole Cravath Ward; and sister Susan Cravath Williamson. She is survived by her loving husband Warren W. Ward, her nice Holly Williamson, her nephew Dean Williamson and his wife Jamie and their daughter Katie. And her step daughter Laura Alford and her husband Mark Swanstrom and their children Lyle and Leah. She is also survived by her stepson, Anthony Alford and his wife Angela Gorsica Alford and their two children Abe and Aggie.

Kay graduated from Stephens AR High School in 1962 and attended Southern State College in Magnolia, AR for her freshman year of college. Then she attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. for three years where she graduated in 1966 with a bachelor's degree with a major in both English and French. She went to Jacksonville, FL with her childhood friend Karen Goode Sullivan and taught school there for 2 years then decided she needed some more excitement in her life. So she got in her little red 1966 Mustang and drove across the Mojave desert to look for a job. She got a “stewardess” job flying for an international airline because she could speak French. The airline flew junkets into and out of Viet Nam, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Philippines New York, and all ports of Europe. She was fearless. After 14 months she had had enough and went back the quiet of Southern Arkansas for a few months. Then in December of 1971 she got restless and moved to Houston. One eventful night she went to Rosas Cantina to meet an old friend and met this guy who wouldn’t leave her alone. He chased her for two years until she caught him.

When she got to Houston, she worked retail to pay the bills until the next September when she and a dozen new teachers stepped into Alief Middle School for the first day it opened. This group of ladies and their spouses have been the core group we have built our friendships around. But her lifelong friend Karen Sullivan has been with her to the very end.

Her most endearing quality was her compassion; however, she could light you up with her million watt smile. Her friendliness was overwhelming, she liked everyone and everyone liked her. She is most known for her wit, intelligence, and strong will.