Obituary of Mark Allen Ballard August 30, 1963 - September 18, 2024
Mark Allen Ballard, 61, of Sanger, Texas, passed away at his home on September 18, 2024.
A gathering of family and friends on Sunday, September 29, 2024 will be followed by a graveside service at 2 p.m. at Campground Cemetery Pavilion in Woodville, Texas. Mark Tolar will officiate.
Mark was born August 30, 1963 to Charles (Buster) Ballard and Era Jo Henry Ballard in Bellaire, Texas. He spent his early childhood years in Deer Park, Texas where his father was owner of Bayshore Engineers, Inc. When Mark was eleven years old, his family moved to a farm outside Woodville. Mark and his brother, Chris, quickly learned how to run cattle, bale hay, operate farm equipment and learned how to enjoy a life of work and play in the country. During those years, Mark was an avid reader and enjoyed restoring old cars and riding motorcycles. He was a loving brother to his little sister, Melissa. Mark also began pursuing a boyhood dream of learning to fly airplanes, taking his first lessons in Deer Park and at the Tyler County airport in Woodville.
Mark graduated from Woodville High School in 1981 and began college at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He loved his time at TCU, making life-long friends. He would frequently bring his college friends to “the farm” in Woodville, giving them what one friend recalls as “the best time of his life.” He graduated from TCU in 1986.
After college Mark continued pursuing his interest in flying and continued working toward his commercial pilot’s license. His first job in the flight industry was as a flight instructor in Amarillo, Tx. He then flew as a captain for Mesa Airlines and also served as a pilot for Flight Safety International. For many years, Mark was chief pilot for Silicon Specialties, Inc. He was devoted to the company and was in his element flying and overseeing the aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 605.
Mark was a peacemaker, a kind man, a great listener, and was a loyal friend. Mark was a Texan at heart, descended from Republic of Texas settlers. Flying was his passion and was his boyhood dream come true. He loved and adored his daughter, Holly. She was the light of his life.
Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Buster and Jo Ballard.
He is survived by his daughter, Holly Ballard, and fiancé, Jonathan Grable of Ft. Worth; brother, Chris Ballard and wife Marian of Kingwood, Tx; sister Melissa Scroggins and husband Tommy of Lexington, South Carolina; aunt Barbara Calderon of Galveston, Tx and aunt Sue Helms of Pasadena, Tx; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
Memorials may be made to The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation, P.O. Box 268, Marlton, NJ 08053.
Services are under the direction of Stringer Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville, Texas.
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