Obituary
Ward passed away suddenly on July 11 at his home in New Westminster, after his usual early morning walk. Our sadness is tempered with the thought that he will be with his parents, Thelma Mae Leach and John Wallace Mossop, and his beloved grandparents, of Smiths Falls, Ontario.
His brother Brant, his four daughters, Sara, Laurie, Aileen and Megan, his first wife Jane and former girlfriend Leslie, and his good friend Judy, will share his stories with his eight grandchildren.
Ward grew up in Ottawa with his little brother Brant, loved swimming and water-skiing at the cottage, skated on the Rideau Canal, played football for Glebe Collegiate, and briefly attended Carleton University, before moving West where he lived the rest of his life. He met Jane in Banff and they were married on Burnaby Mountain in 1971. His first three daughters were born in Vancouver and Surrey and Ward ran a messenger service business with Jane (Curly’s), worked for Forssell’s Greenhouse, and farmed every chance he got. He was a good father to his children in those years and could be counted on to help us with our paper-route or our math, let us have a dog, take us camping and give us Kool-Aid and even coffee at the campground (when our mother wasn’t looking); he loved sports and would play baseball with us, and share his taco chips while he watched football, baseball and hockey. He read to us and taught us to collect eggs and milk goats, and to play chess and bridge (and poker). One Christmas we were too excited to sleep and he convinced our mother that we could have Christmas at one o’clock in the morning – he was a hero that day. He loved farming, and later simply growing a few vegetables on his deck and watching the birds in his birdbath. He loved to swim and two of the best places we ever did that was at San Josef Bay in 1981 and in Powell Lake when we took care of Fiddlehead Farm in 1982. It was sad for us but the right choice for them and Ward and Jane separated in 1983, probably in part due to all the farming!
Ward met Leslie while working as a trucker and was so happy to be in love again. Megan was born in 1987 and her big sisters were thrilled to meet her, and to spend time with her whenever they got the chance. Ward would take Megan skating when he visited, was proud to be with her at Sara’s wedding, and always wished he could do more for her, and later, for her children.
Ward liked to share that he went to school with Peter Mansbridge; he believed strongly in a united Canada, and always voted (Liberal). He loved learning about science and art, most of all The Group of Seven, and especially Tom Thomson, and in the last few years he followed environmental and First Nations issues and was concerned about keeping our coastal waters clean. He believed in traditions, remembered birthdays, and was proud of his resourcefulness and of his family.
In his later years, Ward struggled with alcoholism, which was of course hard for everyone. He lived alone and although he spoke with fondness of days gone by, and freely expressed his love for his family, he never fully re-engaged (despite his apparent regret for lost time and understanding of what his addiction cost him). He attended treatment first at Central City Lodge and there took up water-colour painting; a hobby which has left us with many beautiful paintings of sunsets, trees and birds, as well as trucks, trains and race cars. We are forever thankful to Edgewood Treatment Centre in Nanaimo for giving us back a few years, and for supporting Ward while he attended Malaspina College for Culinary Arts. He was very proud of his new cooking skills and his bread and crab cakes were especially delicious. During his last two years of sobriety, he got to spend a lot of time with his first grandchild, to cook with us and to simply be more involved our lives again. We are also thankful to our Aunty Judy who was a good friend to Ward through everything, and a good Aunty to us.
Although he was often impatient or selfish, he would also get a twinkle in his eye and when he started laughing, it would keep going until everyone around him was laughing too and he was wiping tears from his eyes. He was always ready to give a hug and a kiss and to say “I love you, big-time”.
Ward shared with us his amazement at making it to 70 years old and in the past few months he had expressed gratitude for each day he was alive.
Psalm 23, loved by Ward, and taught to him by his mother when he was very young:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de John Ward Mossop May 23 1948 July 11 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: Vancouver, Province: Colombie britanique
