MARCIA LYNN WARD
November 8, 1942 to May 17, 2023
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Marcia's Obituary

Marcia Lynn Newlin Ward was born on November 8, 1942, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Earl James Newlin and Phyllis Louise Turner Newlin. Marcia attended Gatewood Elementary through the 5th grade and Nichols Hills Elementary for the 6th grade. She attended Harding Junior and Senior High School, graduating in 1960.

In 1960 Marcia was accepted at Oklahoma City University as a music major under The Great Plan. She received an academic scholarship which required her to take all honor classes. She pledged to the Delta Zeta sorority while at OCU. Marcia was initiated into the Honorary Music Fraternity for women, Sigma Alpha Iota, where she received the Sword of Honor. She was received into the honorary society Cardinal Key. Marcia also sang in the Surrey Singers, the University Singers, and the Choir while at OCU. She graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Music with double major in Piano Pedagogy and Music Theory. She was the first student to graduate with the Theory degree.

In 1965 she began studies for the Master of Arts in Music Theory at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, Rochester, NY. At Eastman she wrote her thesis analyzing the Twenty-six Etudes of Alexander Scriabin. While continuing her studies at Eastman, she taught Music Theory, Sight Singing, Ear Training, Keyboard, 16th and 18th Century Counterpoint and 20th Century Composition at Rosary Hill College in Buffalo, NY. Marcia completed her work at Eastman in 1969 with a Master of Arts degree.

Marcia married Dr. David Ward on August 17, 1969, in Clinton, OK. When David became the US Navy Chief Ward in 1972, they moved to the mid-Atlantic region, living near Washington D.C., and in the Annapolis, MD area. In the greater Washington, D.C. area, she was certified in the Suzuki Piano Method and became a certified Suzuki Piano Instructor, training for 5 years at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She taught students from age 2 to 12. Mrs. Ward fully appreciated Dr. Suzuki and his ideas of teaching love between parent and child.

She taught at Rosary Hill College in Buffalo, NY; College of Artesia in New Mexico, and 18 years at Prince George's Community College in Largo, MD. While at Prince George's, she served as Music Chairman, and as a delegate to the Faculty Senate. Marcia taught Music Theory, Sight Singing, Keyboard, Ear Training and 20th Century Composition. She also taught Music Appreciation and Music History. She wrote five Class Outlines for music faculty and her theory students. She received many awards for her teaching and is listed in eight Who's Who Directories, both in the United States and Internationally. Dr. and Mrs. Ward returned to their home state of Oklahoma in April 1993, making their home in Edmond.

In 2017 David and Marcia moved into Legend on Council Assisted Living in Oklahoma City. They were allowed to bring their two cats. They felt at home with the friendliness of the staff and other residents.

Since 1982, Marcia has been a practitioner and Authorized Instructor of The Radiance Technique ®, Authentic Reiki ®. She volunteered at The North Winds nursing home for patients with AIDS for over two years. She worked with the Red Cross, the Firemen, the K-9 dogs, the Recovery dogs and horses after the bombing of the Murrah Building. She was initiated into The Seventh Degree of the Radiance Technique® in 2002. Since 1985 Mrs. Ward studied with Dr. Barbara Ray, co-founder of the Authentic Reiki®. She has been the local liaison between The Radiance Peace Movement® and the local schools, churches and Native American Tribes -sending Radiant Peace Flags to all of the tribes in the United States, asking for their word for PEACE. The students in elementary schools were encouraged to write essays on Peace and what it meant to them.

Marcia loved her family history and completed 2 branches; one on the Newlin Family, and the other on her mother's maternal side: the Baker Family. She had done some work on the Turner Family from Wales, which was on her mother's paternal side, and sent the results to her cousin Sue Ellis in England. The Bakers, the Hoverstocks, and the Newlins were very musical with both grandmothers playing the piano. Marcia's mother and her sister Doris sang solos and duets. She began piano at age 4 with the guidance of her beloved aunt Doris Turner Larkin. Marcia sang along and spent most of her life in church choirs. She loved hard work and crocheted blankets for the battered wives shelters. Her main love was gardening. She was also a great cat lover, and always had one or two around.

Marcia was preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Phyllis Newlin, and by her beloved husband, David. She is survived by her devoted sister Marilyn Walker of Edmond, OK. She is also survived by her cousin Bill Newlin of Muskogee, OK; niece Julie Matulis, husband Jeremy and children Dylan, Madelyn and Mason, all of Tulsa OK.

Graveside services will be held at the Memorial Park Cemetery, 13400 N. Kelly, Oklahoma City, OK on May 31, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.