William Locke (Bill) Ballard, 92, of Tallahassee, died Tuesday, August 25, 2015. He was born August 17, 1923 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He was raised on a farm until his family moved to Charleston when he was a teenager.
Bill joined the Air Corps Cadet Program and graduated as a pilot in 1943. He served in Africa, Italy, Sicily, England, France and Germany during World War II. After the war, he attended Clemson University and then the University of Georgia, where he met his wife, Sybil. In 1950, he attended The Citadel and graduated with a degree in civil engineering.
Bill worked for the Florida State Road Department and Corps of Engineers until he had an opportunity to fly again. He was a flight instructor at Bainbridge, Georgia for 10 years until the base closed in 1961. He returned to the Florida Department of Transportation as a computer programmer until he retired in 1985.
Bill lived a full and active life. He and his wife shared a love for outdoor activities such as golf, gardening, swimming at Wakulla Springs, and camping trips to the Great Smoky Mountains. He was the ultimate do-it-yourselfer. If something needed to be fixed around the house he did it himself. He took classes at Lively Tech and learned to repair small engines and used this skill to help family and friends with repairs. Bill had a passion for the game of golf. He was an original member of the “dawn patrol” at Killearn Country Club which meant for many years he and his golf buddies were the first off the tee. In his younger days, he regularly shot in the 70’s and his low round was 66. He had 9 holes-in-one. As a senior, he consistently shot his age and still walked and carried his bag.
Bill is survived by his daughter, Beverly (Jim) Vaughn; son, Bob (Cathy) Ballard; grandchildren, Ryan (Catherine) Vaughn and Jocelyn Vaughn, and great-grandchild, Lydia Vaughn. He is predeceased by his wife, Sybil Ballard, his daughter, Barbara Ballard, his brothers, Ernest and John, and his sisters, Alice Smoak and Irene Dent. Bill requested that his ashes be buried in the new Tallahassee National Cemetery for Veterans. In lieu of a memorial service or flowers, contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice, Salvation Army, or a favorite charity . Bill was loved by his family and friends, and will be missed.
Posted in: Tallahassee Democrat
Posted on: 2015-09-01
Link to original obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tallahassee/obituary.aspx?n=william-locke-ballard-bill&pid=175696100