Marie W. Ball

Marie was raised in Kinston, North Carolina, the youngest of six children born to Benjamin Williams and Elizabeth Oglesby. She grew up on the family's small tobacco farm, where she developed her strong work ethic and love of family. As was customary on small working farms, dinner was served mid-day to fortify everyone for the work that went well into the evening. Extended family members were always welcomed at the Williams‘ house to enjoy the home-grown vegetables served with hardy meats and Elizabeth’s biscuits.

Marie was educated in a small rural school, where she excelled both academically and in sports. Marie was the school’s star basketball player. In 1945, she met and married the love of her life, Marvin Ball, and moved with him to NY.

Marie had a great interest in history and was blessed with a creative eye that her four daughters inherited, each in her own way. Marie designed the den of the Ball family’s East Rockaway home, and it was admired so much that it earned a feature photograph in the 1966-67 Fall-Winter issue of Home Decorating. She also designed much of the family home on Meshanticut Valley Parkway in Cranston, RI, where the Ball family lived in the early seventies. Marie enjoyed boating and fishing with Marvin, but nothing meant more to her than her family and her closest friends.

Marie Ball is survived by her daughters, Marjorie Ball (Anthony DiBella) of Warwick, RI; Eileen Ball (Caroline Heller) of Northampton, MA; Judy Ball (Neil Podolsky) of Natick, MA, and Mindy Oswald (James) of Barrington, RI. She felt great pride and joy in her five grandchildren, Greg Doan Jr., Samuel DiBella, Natalie Oswald, Camille Oswald, and Ana Lucia DiBella. She is also survived by her dear friend and support in her final years, Joanne Darosa.

Services for Marie will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 in the Redwood Chapel at Swan Point Cemetery, 585 Blackstone Blvd, Providence RI.

Masks and vaccines are required.

Donations in Marie's name can be made to:

Neurofibromatosis Northeast

9 Bedford Street, Burlington, MA 01803

https://nfnortheast.org/

Hope Hospice

1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904

Attn: Philanthropy

https://www.hopehealthco.org

NC State Wilson College of Textile Foundation

in support of the Harry and Marvin Ball Prestige Scholarship Fund

Go.ncsu.edu/Ball

or send a check payable to the North Carolina Textile Foundation, Inc.,

in memory of Marie Ball.

North Carolina Textile Foundation

1020 Main Campus Drive

Raleigh, NC. 27606

Attn: Donna Daetweiler Grant