Richard Joseph Ballard (90) died peacefully at home in Apopka, Florida. Richard was born in Providence, Rhode Island and lived there until he joined the Navy at the age of 17. He served on the USS LCI (L) 402, from 1943 until Honorably Discharged in 1946 as a Signalman Second Class. With the aid of the GI Bill he graduated from the University of Maryland (Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity) and also attended Washington College of Law of the American University (Phi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honors Society).
Richard started working in the State Department in Senior Foreign Service (SFS) in 1967. He served in; Caracas, Venezuela, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jakarta, Indonesia and Bonn, Germany until retiring in 1985, embracing the people and cultures of the countries he lived in. From 1989 to 2016 he lived in Florida.
He was an avid reader, loved cooking and preparing dinners for entertaining guests. His favorite activity was gatherings with family and friends which he orchestrated with great care and love. He is survived by Joan T. Ballard, loving wife of 64 years; brother Bob Ballard and sister Elizabeth Eaton; daughter Cathleen and sons James and Joseph; grandchildren Alan, Rachel, Jacqui, and Dylan; son-in-law Roger and daughter-in-law Lisa; and great grandchildren Marqi and Jude; and their extended families.
Richard will be sorely missed for his wit, clear mind, and kindness. There will be a small family gathering graveside at Bushnell Veterans’ Cemetery. Fair Winds and Following Seas, Dad.
FOR DONATIONS FOR RICHARD J. BALLARD
In memory of Richard, Joan has requested that in lieu of flowers, donation be made to the Dysphagia Research Society.
The following link will open the donation page for DRS Endowment for the Future: http://www.dysphagiaresearch.org/?page=Endowment
Please add comments in the available Comments block and mention that the donation is ‘in memory of Richard Ballard’.