Ralph C. Ballard

Last Friday, my father Ralph (Pete) Ballard passed away at the monumental age of 97. He was in declining health the last couple of years but until 95 he was still able to walk unassisted, fly out to California for visits and drive his car (Although that was never recommended.) I even remember him skipping down the main street in Half Moon Bay as a lark at age 94! He always had a fun-loving spirit and expressed such a positive outlook on life. The last time I spoke to my father, he was barely able to speak but still mustered an upbeat, “Doing fine” when I asked how he was.

My Dad had an amazing life. It began tragically when at 3 years old his father committed suicide. That left him, his mother and brother destitute and forced to move in with his grandparents on a subsistence farm. They were eventually able to stabilize their financial situation when his mother married again. Unfortunately, my father did not get along with his stepfather and at 16 ran away from home with two of his friends. He and his buddies hopped freight cars from Washington D.C. (His home town.) to Los Angeles in 1941. He had some amazing stories regarding his rail journey: Being thrown in jail for vagrancy in Texas, jumping freight cars while they were moving and almost losing his grip and being pulled under the train, getting jumped by a gang of Zoot Suiters in South Central LA, meeting Mickey Rooney in Hollywood. After 5-6 months on the road, my Dad finally decided this was not a good life choice and returned home and finished his high school diploma. (His friends stayed in CA.) After receiving his HS diploma, WWII was raging so he decided to join the Navy and became a medic. When he got out of the service, the GI Bill was available to servicemen so he decided to try college. He had to take an entrance exam to be admitted to George Washington University where he was sure he would fail. He told me he never did well in school and thought his IQ was below average and he felt stupid. To his shock and disbelief he was admitted and ended up graduating with honors. This was my Dad’s opinion of himself. He always felt insecure and thought he wasn’t good enough or smart enough to make the grade. But, as with many successful people, it drove him to work harder than everyone else and in 1955 received his PhD at Rutgers University. He had a successful career in education starting at Pacific Union College (A Seventh Day Adventist college) and ultimately as an associate professor at UC Davis and professor at San Jose State where he developed their Toxicology Dept.

My father was married 3 times. He and his last wife Barbara were together for 42 years. He always told me, “Third times the charm.” They had a 23 year difference in age but somehow it didn’t matter. Barbara and my Dad retired to Sedona, AZ in 2000. I thought it was a huge mistake to move because they both were such urbanites. However, they proved me wrong and both embraced the simpler life. My Dad spent his later year’s writing papers on Philosophy and Science and playing the organ. He loved talking and debating politics and religion and dabbled in many religions, i.e. Seventh Day Adventists, Unitarian, etc… He never stopped searching for the meaning of life and his ultimate truth.

I will miss his joie de vivre, his openness and positive outlook on life.

Goodbye Dad.

Lov

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.oakhillfuneral.com for the Ballard family.