Obituary of Sherry Ann Proctor Nau Ward

Sherry Ann Proctor Nau Ward was born on July 14, 1935 in Kansas City, Missouri. She passed away on March 12, 2023, at the age of 87, surrounded by her family in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Sherry attended Shawnee Mission High School and the University of Kansas. As a teenager, Sherry worked as a production assistant in the Kansas City film industry and fell in love with the art.  She eventually moved to Los Angeles and began a career in the Hollywood film industry, first working for Lucille Ball at Desilu Studios. She went on to become the secretary to the producer for Peter Lawford, Bill Asher, and later, Howard Alston. She worked on TV classics like the original Fugitive and the Patty Duke Show. 

It was in Los Angeles where Sherry met the love of her life, Frank H. Nau.  They married on April 28,1963 and had two daughters, Stacey & Tricia. Unfortunately, Frank passed away in December 1973. Sherry remarried in October 1975 to James L. Ward and moved to Fort Worth, Tx. James passed away in February 1977. 

After again becoming a widowed mother of two young girls, Sherry built a small real estate company, where she acquired and managed numerous properties. Sherry became a successful businesswoman.

Sherry loved to cook, read, jazz music, work crossword puzzles and travel. She was an avid bridge player earned a Life Master rating. She deeply loved her family and cherished her friends. Sherry was very active in local politics, working with the Fort Worth Republican Women's club for over 25 years. Sherry served as FWRW President for 2 terms. She worked on numerous campaigns including those of George W. Bush, Rick Perry, Kay Granger, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Betsy Price. She was awarded FWRW’s highest honor, the Betty Andujar Award in 2017. Sherry maintained many deep ties with people in the Fort Worth community.

Sherry belonged to the Monday Book Club at the Fort Worth Women’s Club. She was also a long-time board member of Friends of the Fort Worth Library, Inc. She was a founding member and avid proponent for the Overton South Neighborhood Association.  

Sherry was a strong, intelligent, funny and fiercely independent woman with sharp wit, impeccable style and was always ready with a quip. Anyone who had the opportunity to know Sherry Ward could tell she was a genuine, formidable, loving woman and we were all privileged to have known her!

Sherry is survived by her daughters, Stacey Nau Welch & Tricia Nau Kennedy, her sons-in-law Steven Welch & Will Kennedy, her grandchildren Ryan, Carson & Savannah Welch, Abeht & Zavier Kennedy, and 2 great grandchildren.