Eugene Alfred Ball

Eugene was raised in west Denver and graduated from Denver West High School and shortly after drafted into the US Army where he served as a combat medic in the Korean War in the 7th and 45th Infantry Divisions. Upon discharge from the Army, he joined the Colorado Air National Guard serving for 13 years including call ups for active duty during the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was a draftsman, engineering technician and bridge inspector for the Colorado Highway Department for 32 years. For 18 of those years, from spring to late fall he travelled the state with a coworker inspecting all the bridges on every state highway. He retired in 1988.

Eugene was married to JoAnn DeVivier and together they raised two sons during their 18-year marriage, William "Bill" and Robert "Bob" Ball.

Eugene was a lifelong outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, and western history practitioner. Because of his western persona and grizzled looks he was cast in bit part roles in three motion pictures filmed in Colorado in the 1970's. In one he was pummeled with a handbag by actress Goldie Hawn. In retirement he also portrayed Santa Claus at many different venues along the front range non-compensated for 20 plus years. Eugene was an artist, an illustrator, and a craftsman of several types of mediums. He would not sell his works, instead gifting pieces to many friends and family over the years. He was noted for his beautiful printing, handwriting, and calligraphy. People saved correspondence and cards from him to admire. Eugene travelled the USA extensively and also made two trips to his family's home in Silgo, Ireland from where his grandfather, Alfred immigrated in the 1870's. At 68 years old Eugene was gifted a German Shorthair dog by his son. He loved and walked her every day for her entire 14 years.

When Eugene returned from Korea, he was a founding member of a hot rod car club in west Denver known as the Ridge Runners with several members including a friend he was serving in the Air Guard with at the time named John Bandimere, who years later opened a famous drag racing strip in Denver. At 74 years old Eugene and a son began building hot rods similar to his younger days. They showed them and also raced one 1931 Ford roadster around Colorado in 2011 even winning second place at the Vintage Inline/Flathead Nationals held at Bandimere Speedway where Eugene and John Bandimere reconnected after nearly 53 years. From age 75 to 78 years old Eugene made trips along with friends who called themselves the Colorado Canoe Boys to the upper Missouri river in Montana and re-created part of Lewis and Clark's voyage of discovery in canoes using only primitive tools and supplies. When he was 79 Eugene and his brother another Korean Veteran travelled to Washington DC on the Honor Flight of Northern Colorado. Eugene had many friends from his western, mountain man days and many friends from his late life hot-rodding days. For several years until the end of his life he enjoyed coffee mornings with friends at Safeway. Eugene had a personality that people were attracted to, no matter where he was.

Surviving are his sons, Bill (Maureen) of Arizona, Bob (Wendy) of Windsor; three granddaughters in California; eight great-grandchildren in California; two nieces in Oregon; one niece in Colorado; and one nephew in Nebraska.

In addition to his parents, Eugene was predeceased by his brother, James Ball and his former wife JoAnn.