Mary E Ballis

She was born at home on Easter morning, April 8, 1928. Home was the very small village of Wabana on Bell Island, which is across the channel from St. John’s, Newfoundland. Remote would be an understatement. Esther came from a family of 9 children. Her upbringing may have been challenging, but the children were always very close throughout their lives. Esther was the “baby” and the last to survive. Her parents were Elias and Annie (Andrea) Gosine. She grew up on the island. After high school, Esther worked at nearby Ernest Harmon AFB, where she met her future husband, Nicholas Ballis. She turned him down for a date many times until he secretly befriended her mother. They married in 1951, had the first of their 7 children and soon after moved to Amarillo, Texas for their next duty station. Seven years later they were posted at Yakota AFB in Japan, where they welcomed their last child. Their next station was Mac Dill AFB in Tampa. She endured the hardship of taking care of her large family for a year while Nick was deployed to Vietnam. It led to making their bonds even stronger. After he returned, they went to Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson in 1966 and remained there. Esther and Nick had 59 wonderful years together before God called him to heaven in 2011.

In her lifetime Esther donated 1,000’s of hours to various types of charity works so that she could help make the world a better place. Even though she was a petite woman, those who met her always remember her powerful signature hugs. Her sweetness had a positive impact on this world and that’s something we should all strive to achieve.

Esther’s legacy is her children; Anne, Rose, Gus, Michael, John, Mark and Janet; 13 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild. She loved to sing and play the keyboard. And it’s her beautiful voice we will miss most!