Obituary of Christy D. Ward

Christy Diven Ward passed away peacefully on March 17, 2026 at home in New Vernon NJ after battling cancer. She was 55. Christy attended Morristown-Beard School and majored in Communications at Metropolitan State College of Denver, where she was also active in Sports Comedy Improv, and coached a high school girls lacrosse team.

Christy loved the theatre and she spent years doing group sales for the Morristown Community Theater and the Shakespeare Theatre of NJ in Madison among others. Her biggest love was pets; Christy started helping train dogs in 4H for the Seeing Eye in grade school and turned her passion into her own dog walking and pet sitting service, where she made many friends.

Christy was a natural athlete. At 17 she biked 4,300 miles across the country in 9 weeks. She loved skiing, sailing and snorkeling as well as camping and fishing.

Friends and clients remember Christy as energetic, fun, and a caring person who was amazing with animals and could strike up interesting conversations with anyone. She had a unique and wonderful personality and a great big laugh everyone remembers.

Christy is survived by her mother Sally, her brother Ned (Noriko), and her nieces Maia and Saya.

There will be a memorial service Saturday, March 28th at 11am at the New Vernon Presbyterian Church, 4 Lees Hill Road, New Vernon, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be made in Christy’s memory to the New Vernon Volunteer Fire Department/First Aid Squad (https://www.nvvfd.org). 

Arrangements are under the care of Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home, Madison.