Dawn L. Ward, 1941–2026

Dawn L. Ward (1941 – 2026)

It is with broken hearts that we share the passing of Dawn L. Ward, deeply beloved wife, mother and grandmother on Monday, June 22, 2026. Born on July 24, 1941 in Leeds, England, she was a kind, loving and generous person who lovingly cared for her friends, family and furry companions. For 41 years she shared a colorful, greatly devoted and deeply loving marriage with her husband Irl E. (Chip) Ward. The heartbreak, infinite love and devotion to her and her nearly palpable spirit will live on through her husband and family. We will miss her every day. Dawn was a lover of knowledge and received her Master’s in Chemistry in 1981 while raising two daughters, running a home and working part time. At the pinnacle of her career she became the Director/Head of “ACT, Inc.,” a technology/product development business that served the semiconductor industry, which she helped to co-found with her husband Chip starting in 1986. She rose to lead the business as a part of Ashland Chemical in 1996. She then retired and turned to the love of nature, gardening, grandchild caring and the active rescue of dogs and cats. She was passionately involved with the Mid-Atlantic Basset Hound Rescue and she and her husband adopted over 20 of their own rescued dogs and cats over the years.

SERVICES

Family and friends are invited to a visitation from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at the Heintzelman Funeral Home Inc., 326 Main St., Hellertown. The visitation hour will be followed by a Celebration of Life service at 11 a.m. A repast to include shared memories will be held at the Carriage House at Heintzelmans immediately following the service. Online expressions of sympathy and memories may be shared with the family at Heintzelmancares.com.

CONTRIBUTIONS

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Dawn’s name may be made to: Mid-Atlantic Basset Hound Rescue and/or the Bucks County SPCA.