The hard-working hands of Herbert W. "Rusty" Ball, Jr. of Keene and Surry, NH, fell still with his sudden passing on Thursday, April 29, 2021 at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, surrounded in the love of his family, and close friends, Andy and Sherri Harden, Dunk and Mary Rudolf, and Dave Nichols.
His parents, Alice M (Elliott) and Herbert W. Ball, Sr. welcomed their son into the world on September 25, 1952 in Keene, NH.
Rusty grew up in Surry, NH and was a 1970 graduate of Monadnock Regional High School in Swanzey, NH, where he was a member of the high school football team.
He attended the NH Technical College in Manchester, NH, where he received his degree in automotive engineering.
Having a love for stock car racing, Rusty’s passion for racing open-wheeled modifieds started from the moment he was able to obtain his driver’s license. Well known in the racing circuit, he was successful in bringing home many trophies over his racing career.
For the past 47 years, Rusty was the vice president of Cheever Tire Service in Bellows Falls, VT. He found great joy in working in his shop, Rusty’s Speed Shop in Surry, NH where he built stock car engines and supplied many racing enthusiasts with fabrication of parts for their stock cars.
When not hard at work, Rusty enjoyed spending vacations with his family on Cape Cod. In addition, of course, he was an avid NASCAR fan.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Ann E. (Arnold) Ball of Keene, NH; his daughter, Stephanie M. Ball Wojtyna and her husband, Andrew, of Essex Junction, VT; his sister, Marilyn D. Conley and her husband David, of Interlachen, FL, and their family, Joshua, Jesse, and Jennifer; his brother, C. Bruce Ball of Winchester, NH and his family, Marcella, Melani, Karli, and Laural; and his extended family who loved Rusty with all of their hearts. He will also be greatly missed by many of his racing friends as well as the many friends he met from is work with Cheever Tire Service.
Family and friends are invited to call on Friday evening May 7, 2021 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Foley Funeral Home, 49 Court Street, Keene. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 11:00am in St. Margaret Mary Church, 33 Arch Street, Keene. Burial with committal prayers will be held in the Village Cemetery, Village Road, Surry, on Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 11:00am. All those in attendance at the visitation, funeral mass, and committal are required to wear facemasks and to maintain the physical distancing protocols.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mr. Ball’s memory to Spectrum Youth and Family Services, 31 Elmwood Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401; or to the NH Technical Manchester Community College Scholarship Program, 1066 Front Street, Manchester, NH 03102; or to a charity of one’s choice.
