Joanne Ward

Celebrating the Life of Joanne Ward

Joanne B. Ward (Morford), 90, of Tahlequah, passed away on Friday, October 23, 2026. She was born on June 27, 1936, in Soldier, Kansas, to Ralph and Anna (DeVader) Morford. She graduated from Emmett High School in 1954.

Joanne graduated from Northeastern State University, in Tahlequah, OK with a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education and went on to get her Master’s in Education while teaching full time. She taught special education at Tahlequah Public Schools for most of her career in the elementary school and middle school settings and for several years at Muskogee High School. She loved teaching and working with special needs kids and devoted her time in helping them become more independent. She coached their Special Olympic sports team and worked to support the teams travel to and from the games. She also spent a couple of years working with Autistic children in Dallas where she developed some educational tools for autistic students that she went on to share with other educators.

Joanne was a member of St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, where she worked part time for many years as the church bookkeeper. She also taught Catechism classes for students and directed the children’s nativity play for many years; helping with costumes, lines, sets and music. Joanne was also an accomplished musician who played piano for friends, family, and as the accompaniment for many of her children’s school plays. She also had an exceptional voice and sang in the choir and with the local group Sweet Adelines for many years at local venues and events. She was an amazing seamstress and often made most of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children and created costumes for many school and church plays. Joanne was an avid volunteer as well, and even up to the last few years of her life volunteered her time for local programs like “Feed My Sheep”.

Joanne loved spending time with family. She especially enjoyed her grandchildren; she encouraged their creativity, introduced them to the things she loved and nurtured their interests and encouraged their individuality much like she did with her own children.

She is survived by her daughter Dawn Ward and her husband David Orr of Holiday Island, AR; grandchildren Cassandra Orr of Williamsville, NY and Jonathan Orr of Boston, MA; her son Darren Ward and his wife Ashley of Tahlequah; grandchildren Megan Butler and her husband Greg; great grandchildren Brennan and Abby of Houston, TX; Brayden Ward of Tahlequah, Madeline Ward of Tahlequah; her sister-in-law Mary Morford of Holton, KS; her sister Jeannie Moylan of St. Mary’s, KS; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Anna Morford, and brother Don Morford in 2026.

Memorial Mass will be held at 2:30 pm on Saturday, November 21, 2026 at St. Brigid Catholic Church with a celebration of life reception following the mass at the St. Brigid activity center. A Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 p.m. Friday, November 20, 2026 also at St. Brigid Catholic Church. Her ashes will be buried later at Holy Cross Cemetery in Emmett, Kansas alongside her parents Anna and Ralph Morford.

In lieu of flowers you can donate to Special Olympics https://www.specialolympics.org or to St. Brigid Catholic Church https://stbrigidtahlequah.com