Violet Ward Bistany of Tampa, Florida, passed away on Friday, August 19, 2022 at the age of 91. Born in Huntington, West Virginia, Violet was the only daughter of Rev. Herbert T. and Leah Ward.
Violet was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Tinsley “W.T.” Ward, Homer Ward, and Billy Jack Ward; her oldest daughter Sharon Mathis; her sons-in-law Larry Mathis, Jim Kaplin, and James “Andy” Anderson; and her granddaughter Michelle Schultz.
Violet is survived by her children Red Bistany (Karen), Leah Kaplin, Martha Juncal (Michael), and Barbara Anderson. She is survived by her grandchildren Jim Sansom (Kim), Scott Sansom (Mary), Mark Mathis (Amy), Brian Bistany (Kristen), Kimberly Bistany (Kern), Violet Hardeman (Travis), and Allison Buck (Jeremy) and her great grandchildren Jakob, Kyle, Spencer, Christian, Alyssa, Caleb, Ethan, Kaiya, Karys, Brooks, Cooper, Jimmy Lea, Marley, Aiden, Levi, and soon to arrive Camille. Violet is also survived by her brothers, Whit Ward (Mary) and Wes Ward (Carol). She also has many nieces, nephews, cousins, family members and friends who knew her as “Aunt Sis”, “Mom Bistany”, or “Grandma Bistany” who loved her very much.
Violet was an amazing Christian woman and a warrior for Christ. She led by example and taught her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to be strong Christian men and women. Next to her family, the thing she loved most was her church. She loved worshiping, teaching, studying, serving, and giving.
Violet had many jobs over the course of her life. To describe her as a hard-working dedicated single mother does not begin to do her justice. She owned and operated her own day care center, she owned and serviced multiple laundromats, she serviced vending machines, she had newspaper delivery routes with the Tampa Tribune and USA Today, and she worked for many years at Marine Bank in downtown Tampa. Her favorite job may have been her final job as a Hillsborough County Crossing Guard at Morgan Woods Elementary School.
Violet will be deeply missed by all the lives she touched, especially by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. We know that she is safe with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that we will all be together again one day.
9 Comments
Dawna Kelly
Our deepest sympathy to all the Bistany, family. Sure will miss her smiling face! She’s was always there to help anyone out at anytime!
Violet, loved her lord , and family . Will miss her cheesy grits, oh my how I loved them!
The Kellys ,
Dawna and John
Dawna Kelly
Our Deepest Sympathy to the Bistany, family . Sure will miss her smile! She loved her Lord, and family ! Violet, was always helping someone all the time. Sure will miss her cheesy grits, oh my was they ever good !
The Kellys,
Dawna & John
Marian W Marzin
My daughter and I met beautiful Violet a little more than a month before she passed away. I was driving down Jackson Springs and saw her walking in the middle of the day in the horrible mid-July heat. After turning onto Hanley I just couldn’t go on without finding out if she might need some help. I found her in the parking lot at the corner of Jackson Springs and Hanley sitting on her walker. I offered her assistance if she needed it. She said she was fine and did this every day for exercise. She was such a beautiful, sweet woman. We talked for a bit and I found out that she used to be the crossing guard many, many years ago at Morgan Woods elementary when my sister and I attended there. I gave her my phone number and told her to please call me if she ever needed any help, as I lived just down the street from her. Later that evening I reached out to my sister and asked her about Violet’s daughter as I vaguely renembered her mentioning her name when we were younger. As it turned out my sister, Carol Wilkey, did know Violet’s daughter Martha. A small world it is. I saw Violet a few more times walking along Jackson Springs and I honked and waved at her and she waved back. I worried that she had passed as I no longer saw her anymore, so I looked online and found that she had. I just have to say what a truly beautiful, joyful, lovely woman she was and how I will always remember her lovely face full of joy. I’m happy to know she was a devout Christian and she is resting in Jesus’ arms now. God bless her and her family.
Marian W Marzin
My daughter and I met beautiful Violet a little more than a month before she passed away. I was driving down Jackson Springs and saw her walking in the middle of the day in the horrible mid-July heat. After turning onto Hanley I just couldn’t go on without finding out if she might need some help. I found her in the parking lot at the corner of Jackson Springs and Hanley sitting on her walker. I offered her assistance if she needed it. She said she was fine and did this every day for exercise. (cont’d)
Marian W Marzin
She was such a beautiful, sweet woman. We talked for a bit and I found out that she used to be the crossing guard many, many years ago at Morgan Woods elementary when my sister and I attended there. I gave her my phone number and told her to please call me if she ever needed any help, as I lived just down the street from her. Later that evening I reached out to my sister and asked her about Violet’s daughter as I vaguely renembered her mentioning her name when we were younger. As it turned out my sister, Carol Wilkey, did know Violet’s daughter Martha. A small world it is. (cont’d)
Marian W Marzin
I saw Violet a few more times walking along Jackson Springs and I honked and waved at her and she waved back. I worried that she had passed as I no longer saw her anymore, so I looked online and found that she had. I just have to say what a truly beautiful, joyful, lovely woman she was and how I will always remember her lovely face full of joy. I’m happy to know she was a devout Christian and she is resting in Jesus’ arms now. God bless her and her family.
Marian W Marzin
I have tried to leave a rather full comment here about having met lovely Violet Bistany. It is a bit long so I tried breaking it up and submitting it in three attempts. I can’t seem to get it to go through in full. If a family member would like to reach out to me so I can share my story with them I would love for them to know how she touched my and my daughter’s life. Thank you. Marian Wilkey Marzin
Marian W Marzin
Finally, my many attempts to leave a message has gone through. I’m not sure why each time nothing appeared to go through, but each attempt has now shown up. I apologize for the duplications.
TJ Cohen
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