Jennie Harp Ballard

Jennie was born January 23, 1931 in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of eight siblings. Following her graduation from Woodward High School she married Charles (Chuck) Edward Ballard also of Cincinnati, a marriage lasting 50 years until Chuck’s death in August 2001.

Their two children were born in Cincinnati where the family resided until 1964. Following residences in Kentucky and Texas, the family moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1972. Jennie was the strength of the family and provided the stability and guidance to accommodate these transitions. Jennie had been a Real Estate agent in Lexington, Kentucky and once in California embarked upon a successful career as a Real Estate Broker in the highly competitive Southern California real estate market spanning three decades from the 1970s through the 1990s. She garnered numerous sales and achievement awards throughout her career.

In the 1990s Jennie and Chuck moved to their home in the Mandalay Beach community, where they enjoyed golf, boating, and the beach life in general. Both were ardent Cincinnati Reds baseball and Dallas Cowboy football fans. They enjoyed a glass of champagne each time the Cowboys scored a touchdown!

Jennie became a docent at the Ventura County Maritime Museum in Channel Islands Harbor. She was a voracious reader, steadfastly loved her Dalmatian dogs, and was an avid golfer until age 80, regularly participating in golf tournaments at Olivas Park and Buenaventura golf courses. Her life was characterized by honesty, integrity, and loyalty. These traits were instilled in her two children.

The enduring testament of Jennie’s and her husband Chuck’s lives is that with hard work, determination and perseverance, one can achieve much in life. Despite humble upbringing in downtown Cincinnati and having only a high school education, their journey ultimately took them to residing beside the Pacific Ocean in sunny Southern California.

Jennie is survived by her son Charles Alan Ballard and his wife Rose of Santa Paula and daughter Nancy L. Ballard of Oxnard, CA. No services have been planned at this time. Donations are encouraged to the two charities she favored: The American Red Cross and the Ventura County Maritime Museum.