Robert L. Ballard

Services are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14th at Bright-Holland Funeral Home with Bro. Nolan Butler & Bro. David Ballard officiating. Burial will be made in Shady Grove Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Saturday from 1 – 2 p.m.

Mr. Ballard, the son of Roland W. Ballard & Cleda Lois Keener Ballard, was born March 28, 1938, in Clardy, TX. He graduated from East Lamar High School, Paris Junior College, and received his Masters Degree in agriculture, math, and administration from Sam Houston State University. He proudly served his country in the United States Army National Guard being honorably discharged.

Robert taught agriculture at Westwood High School in Palestine. Later he taught at the State School for Boys in Gatesville where he was principal of the Mt. View Unit. He then moved back to Lamar County and joined the staff of the Delmar ISD where he taught junior high math, high school math, was a junior high girls basketball coach, a bus driver, and became high school principal. Robert then taught junior high math at Blossom for one year. Robert then returned to Delmar where he was high school principal. When Delmar and West Lamar consolidated and became Chisum he joined the faculty and became high school principal, elementary principal, and then assistant superintendent over maintenance and transportation. It was during this time that he and a group of four students built the Chisum Mustang statue that still stands in front of the school. In 1994, he retired following a career in education that spanned 31 years.

Before moving to Paris, he was a deacon at East Main Church of Christ in Gatesville, TX. He had been a member of the College Church of Christ where he served as an elder for 20 years. At the time of his passing, he and his wife, Sis, had been active in the Pattonville Church of Christ for ten years.

While living in Gatesville, he was a member of the Lions Club and coached little league baseball. Robert was a member of the Lamar-Delta Retired Teachers & School Employees Associaton.

He enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting, fishing, and planting and grafting pecan trees.

Survivors include his wife, Loyce “Sis” Ballard, whom he married on Nov, 25, 1960, building 65 years of family and memories. Four children, Leann Mitchell & husband Keith, Randy Ballard & wife Roxanne, David Ballard & wife Nancy, and Danny Ballard & Emilio Uribe, grandchildren, which were the light of his life, Deanna Bridges & husband Branson, Kim Suddeath & husband Eric, Kelli Gwaltney & husband Trey, Rance Ballard, Chance Ballard & wife Alexa, Chad Ballard, Jenni Kay Long & husband Zach, and Joey Ballard & wife Brooklyn, great grandchildren, Hannah, Sarah, Eli, and Rebecca Suddeath, Emily and Ben Bridges, Hudson, Haisley, and Harper Gwaltney, Greta, Samuel, and Sibylle Long, and Tillie and Lorelei Ballard, two brothers, Max Ballard & wife Carolyn and Gary Ballard & wife Gwen, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.

Casket bearers will be: Joey Ballard, Rance Ballard, Chance Ballard, Chad Ballard, Danny Ballard, and Randy Ballard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Pattonville Church of Christ, P. O. Box 5, Pattonville, TX 75468, for the benefit of Cameroon and Chad African Missions.