William Michael Balsley

Born July 21, 1947, in Elk Grove, Pennsylvania, to Donald and Rosemary Balsley, he was the third of five children. He graduated from North Hills High School in Pittsburgh in 1965, and went on to attend the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, managing to graduate in 1969 by the skin of his teeth.

He later completed the Executive Program at MIT in 1985.

Mike built a career in banking and insurance, a path that led him and his wife Pam to live in Chicago, Illinois; Marietta, Georgia; Doylestown, Pennsylvania; Beijing, China; and Windsor, England, before eventually retiring to St. Simons Island, Georgia.

An avid golfer, Mike played on the North Hills and Georgetown golf teams before settling into Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta, where he proudly served as president. He will be remembered for his deep love of the game, reflected in the many golf groups with whom he shared countless rounds and friendships, as well as in the courses he cherished—Royal County Down, Saucon Valley, Sea Island, and Cherokee.

Later in life, Mike became an enthusiastic traveler when work took Pam and him abroad. From eating breakfast with giraffes in Africa to attending the Harbin Ice Festival in China, Mike said yes to most adventures and embraced the world with endless curiosity.

Mike was as genuine a person as one could hope to know. He was quick-witted and made the world just a little more fun for everyone around him. He will be remembered as a loving husband, a generous father, a doting grandfather and the best partner in a game of golf.

He is survived by his wife, Pam Balsley; his children, Todd Balsley and wife Suzanne, and Katie Aftosmis and husband Jason; and his grandchildren, Elisabeth and Penelope. He is also survived by his sisters, Kathy and Beth, and his brother John. (And, of course, his globe-trotting dog, Maggie.)

A private memorial service will be held for close family and friends on February 8th, 2026.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to First Tee in Mike’s honor.