By Judy Minches, Surrey volunteer
Nancy Ward follows her heart. Her active lifestyle revolves around the desire to enjoy life and the people in it, while also dedicating herself to organizations and causes that she holds near and dear.
Nancy has been involved at Surrey as a member, volunteer and donor. She became aware of its presence in the community in the 1990s when her dad was ill and she was searching for local resources. Decades later when her sister had dementia, Surrey once again provided valuable guidance.
Over time, Nancy has integrated Surrey into her daily routine. She exercises at the fitness center in Devon, takes balance classes, goes on the walking group hikes and sits in on speaker presentations on relevant matters. She regularly attends the Veterans group at Surrey, the annual Garden Party, and the Holiday House Tour and Shops. She participates in bus trips and frequents Surrey’s Consignment Shop in Berwyn.
She introduced a gentleman named Jay, whom she met in 2019 – as each was traveling abroad – to Surrey and, before long, he too became a fan of this community as a member and volunteer. The couple has been together and traveling ever since.
Jay has led informative talks on a variety of subjects and joins in many events. He recently helped put into action a Hiking Club for all of Surrey. He discovered trails and points of interest while making the path safe and fun for walkers of all abilities.
This walking group is part of a new Surrey initiative called “Surrey Without Walls” The concept was designed to enable people to participate in Surrey-led exercise and lecture programs in the community.
Nancy said her involvement at Surrey “gives me a purpose” and a desire to go give back. “I’ve been taking for a long time, but now I have more time and flexibility and want to give” to help Surrey thrive for generations to come.
In addition to the giving of her time, Nancy has been a generous donor and recently became the first to contribute to the new Surrey center in Media. “I try to help Surrey as I can, as much as I can, as they try to do as much as they can.”
Nancy’s passion for helping veterans is as strong as ever. It began decades ago when she worked for Lyman Perry Architects and was asked to be the liaison between the architect and the veterans’ group in planning an arch and memorial gardens for Easttown Veterans Association, now the Main Line Veterans Association. Her work with this group has greatly expanded. She has recently taken on a large role in fundraising for the third memorial, to be completed in 2026. She has also channeled her energy toward improving the lives of veterans due to “the people I met, the needs I saw, and being able to feel I could help,” said Nancy. “We are so lucky to be here, and we are here because of these people.”
With enthusiasm and gratitude for all that Surrey has done to help the aging population, Nancy said that “Surrey fills a void in our culture which is growing as people get to be 90, 100 or 120 years old. Many people age in place at home and can’t or choose not to pay a lot of money to live somewhere for services on site. Not everyone has family for support or an advocate to look after them.
“Where can you get so much, for the cost of a Surrey membership ($50)? Surrey makes living at home possible for many people. It gives them the opportunity to live,” said Nancy.