Albert William Ball

Albert William Ball of Wilmington, NC, beloved husband of Diana, passed peacefully in his sleep at the age of 82 on Friday, April 24th, 2015. Albert was born in London, England in 1933, and left school at the age of 14 to work for an insurance company. At 15, he joined the Royal Navy, eventually being one of the few selected to compete before the Queen in the elite Royal Tournament Gun Carriage Race. After leaving the navy, Albert earned an engineering degree while working nights in a factory so he could establish a career for himself as a manufacturing engineer. In search of better opportunities, he moved his family to the United States in 1967, taking a job in South Carolina designing textile mill equipment. Albert spent most of his career with Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan as an industrial engineer. He had a long and accomplished career, including working with the European and South American divisions on operational issues. Besides his wife Diana, Albert is survived by his four children Debra, Kevin, Lisa, and Gary, thirteen grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Albert was a loving and supportive husband and parent who genuinely cared for his family and will be greatly missed. A small family service will be held on Sunday, April 26th in Wilmington, North Carolina.