Robert J Ball

Robert Jackson Ball January 7, 1932 - May 3, 2024 Robert Jackson Ball, 92, of Milton, WV, loving husband and father of four, passed from this life with his wife of 65 years, Mary Ellen Frazier Ball, by his side on Friday, May 3, 2024 at Genesis Putnam Center in Hurricane, WV. In addition to his wife, Robert is survived by their adult children: daughter, Mary Elizabeth “Libby” Ball, of Tacoma, WA; son, Charles David Ball, of Proctorville, OH; son, John Frazier Ball, and his wife, Sherria Williamson Ball of Ona, WV; son, Robert “Bob” Lincoln Ball, and his wife, Michele Suinn Ball, of Auburn, WA. He is also survived by his granddaughter, Amanda René Ball, and her husband, William Riddle, of Bartlett, TN; grandson, Jeremy Thomas Ball, of Bartlett, TN; Amanda and Jeremy are the adult children of Charles Ball and Belinda Guay Ball. Robert’s nieces, Leah Ellen Ball, Lucinda Jane Ball Addis, Elizabeth “Beth” Ellen Wallace, and nephews, David James Wallace and Marc Andrew Wallace also survive him, as well as numerous loving friends and extended family members in the community. Robert Jackson Ball was born at home on the dining room table in Milton, West Virginia to Broaddus and Bertha Ball on January 7, 1932. His parents preceded him in death, as did his older brother, Lewis G. Ball, and his wife, Alyce Walden Ball; his younger sister, Elizabeth “Betty” Ann Ball Wallace, and her husband, Rev. Daniel J. Wallace; parents-in-law, Claude E. Frazier and Ada Deerfield Frazier; and brother-in-law, Claude “Bub” Deerfield Frazier, and his wife, Mary Lee Blake Frazier. Robert lived all of his life in Milton, West Virginia, with the exception of years at college and while serving in the US Army. Robert spent most of his formative years in a home on a hill overlooking Milton that his mother had built by two of her brothers. On an adjoining property nestled by the hill, his mother had another home built for her parents, and after their passing, this is where Robert and Mary Ellen, would “set up housekeeping” and raise their four children. Growing up, Robert roamed the neighborhood and surrounding area, learning the names of birds, trees, and flowers from beloved neighbors and extended family. Robert thrived in his home community that he loved in the West Virginia hills. Following an early childhood bout with scarlet fever, causing an extended stay in isolation at home, his mother, Bertha, declared it was high-time for Robert to go to elementary school; so this is why he began school a year earlier than most of his classmates, and was perhaps the youngest graduate of his Milton High School Class of 1949. He was a member of the Student Council, the Miltonian staff, the Latin Club, and ran track. Robert played clarinet in the high school band and in All-State Band. He excelled in his studies participating in Boys State, and becoming Salutatorian of his graduating class. Robert began his college years at Dennison in Ohio, and later graduated from Morris Harvey College, now known as the University of Charleston, with a focus on mathematics and a major in history. Three years ago in 2021, the University of Charleston published a book, “In My Words,” an oral history project as told by the alumni. Robert contributed these words about himself to the book: “When I graduated from high school, I thought I was pretty big stuff. It turned out that I wasn’t nearly as smart as I thought. As soon as I graduated, I enlisted the next day after. I served three whole days in the Air Force and three years in the Army. I wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force, but it turned out that my eyesight wasn’t good. I had to work on getting some extra courses in. I ended up with a major in history and a minor in math. I was in the band for two years, and we were in all the football games. When I went into service, my math courses helped me to no end to get into an interesting area of work. After getting my degree, I worked for my father briefly for a couple of weeks. I then got a job at American Viscose Corporation, where I became their production controller. It worked out well for me there too.” Robert studied both math and history in college with an intention of getting a degree in math; however when graduation time rolled around, he had enough credits for a major in history rather than math. Following his college days, the math studies paid off in his primary assignment for the US Army at the White Sands Missile Range doing mathematical calculations for launches. For a 2021 Veteran’s Day reflection, Robert wrote about his experience in the service. ”On a Saturday in August of 1953, I graduated from Morris Harvey College in Charleston, WV. The following Monday, I went to the Army/Air Force Recruiting Office in Huntington, WV and signed enlistment papers to take pilot training in the U.S. Air Force. A few days later I was on a train headed to Chicago, then on to Chanute Field in Illinois. There I was tested mentally and physically. Everything. Everything went well until the eye test, critical to Pilot Flight Training, which I failed miserably. Back to West Virginia I was sent immediately. Talking to the recruiter, after my three days in the Air Force, we agreed that Army Guided Missile Radar School would be my next experience. On October 5, 1953, I, along with several other fellers from Huntington, WV, traveled by bus to Fort Knox, Kentucky for eight weeks of Basic Training. This consisted mostly of marching, exercises, rifle training and KP (Kitchen Police - a valuable skill). At the end of Basic, I received 10 days of leave at home. After that, I traveled by train to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, for electronic School, very elementary. Three months later, some of us were shipped off (by train again) to Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville, Alabama. Finally, I was being trained in Corporal Missile Radar. We saw lots of films about the German V-2 Rockets, which were the models for the U.S. Corporal Guided Missiles. Also, on weekends, a friend and I saw lots of Alabama and Georgia. In June of 1954, four of us “Radar Experts” drove west in an automobile to White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico. All four of us (one each from West Virginia, North Carolina, California, and Massachusetts) were assigned to “Corporal Missile Engineering/User Unit”. Really still green as grass, we managed to get one man in the actual radar van. I ended up in the computer van, learning a new skill. Over time, I became Computer Crew Chief (total of three men assigned) and eventually, Project Mathematician. The latter job meant I took basic info and, using a manual, laid out specific data for each Missile Test Flight. I would like to say this was highly skilled work, but mostly it required reading ability, basic math skills, and a modicum of common sense. “We” flew several test flights. “We” consisted of the guidance (electronic) area and the ground crew which sat up the actual missile and fueled it. Two particular items brightened my stay at WSPG. One involved a visit from a U.S. Congressional team and I was able to provide a fatigue cap (part of regular work uniforms) for a congresswoman to keep the sun out of her eyes. It was really a piddling thing, but she was a blabber and told everybody, and the story (with my picture) ended up in the Western Edition of the Army Times, a BIG DEAL to ME! The second item involved more visitors for a shoot. Those folks included Mike Todd and Elizabeth Taylor and a film crew. I can say (very vainly) that I programmed that particular shoot (that is, I did the regular information as was done for every shoot - or launching.) The filming of that shoot (with some additional film provided by some government agency) appeared at the introduction to Mike Todd’s movie “Around the World in Eighty Days”. Yes, I do brag about it! This also was the movie my baby sister and her eventual husband went to see on their first date in Maryland. I related that story when I was invited to speak at her funeral in Michigan. At WSPG, my friends and I also did a lot of non-military travel: to El Paso, Texas; Juarez, Mexico, all over New Mexico, a trip to Santa Cruz, California. This last item allowed me to see Los Angeles, the original Disneyland, the Huntington Museum, San Francisco, Yosemite, and many other sites, this in July of 1956. I finished my tour at WSPG in October, and was discharged (to the reserve) at Fort Bliss, Texas, on October 3, 1956. This concluded my three days in the U.S. Air Force and my three years in the U.S. Army on active duty.” Returning from his military duty, Robert was living at home with his parents again, while his sister, Betty, was planning for her wedding. Assisting Betty with her plans was Mary Ellen Frazier. While Robert and Mary Ellen had grown up in the same church, Robert graduated high school in the spring of 1949, before Mary Ellen moved from eighth grade at Culloden Grade School to ninth grade at Milton High School in the fall of 1949. The story is told that on a hot summer day when Mary Ellen was helping Betty with wedding planning, a car drove fast down the gravel home driveway, kicking up a cloud of dust. Mary Ellen wondered who would want to create so much dust on a hot summer day, and Betty responded that it was just her brother, Robert. Later that summer, both Mary Ellen and Robert were in the wedding party for Betty and her husband, Dan. One year and one week later, Robert and Mary Ellen were also happily married. His work included several years as production controller for rayon at American Viscose in Nitro. This was followed by work for Adams’ Cards and Gifts in Milton; as a Pinkerton guard at St. Mary’s Hospital; for West Virginia Workers Compensation in Charleston; and then as a paralegal for a Huntington firm that specialized in worker compensation cases. Robert’s life’s work was with his church. He was a passionate lifelong American Baptist, beginning his church affiliation with Union Baptist Church, and then all of his adult life with Milton Baptist Church. He served in many roles including Deacon, Financial Secretary, Sunday School Superintendent, and Sunday School teacher for over 70 years, most recently of the Fidelis Class. In addition to his roles at Milton Baptist Church, until recently he served several active roles in the Guyandotte Association of the West Virginia Baptist Convention. Robert loved teaching through stories, especially for his Sunday School classes. He reveled in weaving his personal experiences and those of his family into colorful tapestries to convey meaningful messages. Robert’s work in the community centered on improving and beautifying the world. Working with area congregations, he helped establish the Eastern Cabell County Humanities Organization or ECCHO in Milton. He worked alongside his wife, Mary Ellen, on Milton Garden Club beautification projects, helping to decorate community Christmas trees and hang wreaths. In his years after retirement, he enjoyed working in the flower beds surrounding the Milton Baptist Church, and displaying American flags for patriotic holidays. Over the last few months, he had been receiving support at area health care centers. Cause of death was obstructive pulmonary disease complicated by Parkinson’s and Long-COVID. Robert contracted COVID-19 in December 2020, and had an intensive hospital stay. Afterwards it became apparent he was significantly affected by Long-COVID; the Parkinson’s disease that had been medicinally-controlled for over four decades began to have a greater impact on his mobility. He continued to persevere, teaching Sunday School until the fall of 2023. Robert and Mary Ellen have always felt supported by their community, however friends came out in grand fashion to support them especially in these last few years. Mary Ellen and family thank all those in the community for their support. Thanks to the health-care teams at Valley Health Milton, St. Mary’s Hospital, Encompass in Barboursville, Genesis Putnam Center, Hospicecare of Charleston, and special thanks to Brian Booth for home barbering, the team at Mohr’s Tire Farm for being supportive neighbors, and especially members of the Milton Baptist Church, including the Bacon Brotherhood men’s group for constructing a home ramp for Robert, and the kitchen team for providing meal support. Memorial service will be held at Milton Baptist Church on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Family and friends are invited to greet the family at a reception in the church gym following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations by check to ECCHO, the Eastern Cabell County Humanities Organization, 1038 Smith Street, Milton, WV 25541, or the charity of your choice. Robert was one of those in area churches that helped form ECCHO in September 1981 with a common desire to serve families in need. Like a school teacher putting gold stars on a student’s paper, Robert enjoyed giving gold star stickers on 3x5 cards to people who were his “favorites” and doing good in the world. In memory and honor of Robert, the family hopes you will find ways to celebrate those who you know are doing good in the world — and give yourself a gold star too. Robert would want you to have a gold star.