Eddie Ballew was born on Pisgah Ridge near Richland, TX, on September 11, 1941, to Imogene (French) Ballew and Robert Coleman Ballew, and died on August 10, 2023, in Fresno, CA, of Alzheimer’s disease. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Jean (Cloyd) Ballew, daughter Janell Lynn Galloway and husband Scott, son Tad Ballew and wife Dee, son Rob Ballew and wife Angela; nine grandchildren: Jacob Abeytia and wife Jacquelyn, Brendt Galloway and wife Jesse, Jacob Sandvig, Ben Galloway and wife Anna, Theo Ellin Ballew, Madison Ballew Brown and husband Joshua Brown, Mallory Ballew and husband Chad Porter, and Maycee Ballew; five great-grandchildren: Elijah Abeytia, Noah Abeytia, Henrik Sandvig, Mark Galloway, and Jack Galloway; brother Ron Ballew and wife Karen, brother Bob Ballew and partner Bea, brother-in-law Ray Cloyd and wife Nancy, uncle Jerry Ballew, uncle Frank French, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandson, Evan Medina.
After graduating Clovis High School and a stint with the US Forest Service, Eddie worked as a devoted public servant for the City of Fresno for 40 years, first as a Peace Officer with the Fresno Police Department (1962-1968), then as a Firefighter with the Fresno Fire Department (1968-2002), where he retired among the longest-serving Firefighters in Department history. His gifts included generosity, singing, teaching, helping, building, fixing, believing, reasoning, fishing and athleticism, making people feel special, sandwich-making for brothers and others, ice cream-making and laughter-making for all. He is the inventor of the Pa Joke, known today as the Dad Joke, and an extraordinary number of people have called him the best man they ever knew. He was a genuine hero and deeply uncomfortable with anyone saying so. R.I.P., Pa, you were the best there ever was. We love you and we’ll see you in the Sweet By and By.
A graveside service for Eddie will be held Monday, August 21, 2023 at 10:00 am at Redbank Cemetery, 11648 E. Shaw Ave., Clovis, CA 93619.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.lislefuneralhome.com for the Ballew family.
