Pearl Marjorie Douglas-Ward's Obituary
Pearl Marjorie Douglas-Ward was born on March 14th, 1925 on the isthmus of Panama in Central America. She was the second of six children born from the union of Reynold and Mildred Douglas.
Our matriarch went to sleep in the LORD on October 24th, 2022 at the home of her daughter Beverly in Fayetteville, Ga. At the time of her passing, she was 97 years old.
On December 12th, 1942, Pearl married Louis Francisco Ward. Their union produced eight God-fearing children: twins- Barbara F. Ward-Gonzalez & Beverly Y. Ward-Small-Carter, Winston S. Ward, Carlos E. Ward, Doreen P. Ward-Lindo, Ernesto O. Ward, Luis E. Ward, and Marcia C. Ward-Calbert.
Pearl was an amazing wife, mother, daughter, sister, homemaker, and devoted child of the Living God. Her strength and fortitude went beyond the walls of her home and family. With the aid of her older sister, Muriel, Pearl secured a position as a Book Binder while still in Panama. Despite her youth, she was always driven to succeed and provide for her family. Pearl was a visionary. In 1963 she envisioned a better life for her family and decided within herself to leave her home in Panama and immigrate with her husband and eight children to the United States. Pearl was a planner, even in the face of ridicule by her peers, her dream never wavered and her faith continued to abound. Pearl was a trailblazer. She designed the path for her family to obtain a better life. In America, she worked as a domestic, a factory worker, and finally as an employee at Chemical Bank (facilitated by her younger sister, Carol) retiring in 1987. Pearl was an overcomer, she overcame fear and naysayers so her family would benefit from the vast opportunities that America afforded.
Pearl was a Christian her whole life. As a child in Panama, she often attended Anglican Church services with her grandmother, affectionately known simply as Ma. She remained in the Anglican Church until her early adult years. Upon relocating to America she was impressed by the Christian lifestyle and faith of a very good friend who was an Adventist. Pearl wanted to embody a deeply spiritual lifestyle for herself and she began to receive Bible studies in the faith. On September 18th, 1976 Pearl wholeheartedly gave her life to God and was baptized into the Seventh-Day Adventist Faith by Pastor Milton Thomas at the Brooklyn Temple SDA Church in Brooklyn, New York. Pearl believed that she had found God’s true church and in turn purposed in her heart to encourage her first and last-born daughters, who resided with her, to accept the message. They both did and were also baptized into the Adventist Faith in 1980. A few years later, her husband Louis also accepted the message and was baptized. As a devoted member of the Brooklyn Temple SDA Church, Pearl served as a deaconess, and as a cashier in the treasury department. She loved the LORD! And although her children may be of different denominations, their feet are ALL firmly planted in the LORD and His holy Word.
Pearl Marjorie Ward was preceded in death by her husband Louis F. Ward, daughter Barbara Ward-Gonzalez, son Winston Ward, daughter-in-law Digna Ward, grand-son Darrell J. Lindo, grand-daughter Stephanie P. Small, parents Reynold & Mildred Douglas, sisters Sylvia Douglas- Phillips, and Carol Douglas-Gordon.
Pearl is survived by her children: Beverly Y. Small-Carter, Carlos E. Ward (Maria), Doreen P. Ward-Lindo (Stanley), Ernesto O. Ward (Sandra), Luis E, Ward (Barbara), Marcia C, Ward- Calbert (William); siblings: sister Muriel Hart, brothers Alan Douglas, Roderick Douglas, and a host of nieces, nephews, grand-children, great grand-children, and friends.
Pearl Marjorie Douglas-Ward was an exemplary Child of the Living God who poured the goodness of God into everyone she came in contact with! She will most assuredly be missed; but as a family in Christ, we look forward to that Great Getting Up Morning when the dead in Christ will rise first, and those of us who remain faithful to the very end will most surely see her again. Amen
TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE.
Lovingly Submitted by the Family
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