Wyly Ball

Wyly Edwin Ball, 86, a 34year resident of Roswell, passed away Saturday, November 26, 2011 at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, following a series of brief illnesses. He was the last of six siblings.

A native Texan, Ed was born in Dallas, Texas on March 16, 1925 and grew up in Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas. He was an honors student at Arlington High School, where he graduated in 1942. At what is now the University of TexasArlington, Ed later enlisted in the U.S. Navy V12 Program for Prospective Officers, where he was prepared for commission when World War II ended.

Inspired by family friend and renowned concert pianist, Leonard Pennario, Ed became a promising keyboard student with aspirations of also becoming a concert pianist. He studied in Southern California, before returning to Texas to enroll at Texas Christian University. There, he met Fort Worth native, Jacklyn Jackie Lusher, who in 1952 became his wife of 58 years. After graduating with honors, Ed contracted polio and endured a lengthy, successful recovery.

He accepted a job in the actuary department at Prudential Life Insurance Co. in Houston, where he and Jackie lived for 25 years. Ed enjoyed a successful executive career at Prudential before retiring to Roswell in 1977. As patrons of the arts in Houston and New Mexico, Ed and Jackie enjoyed music, dramatic, and musical productions, movies, and entertaining friends.

Ed was a member of St. Andrews Episcopal Church of Roswell, Roswell Country Club, and became a Freemason, Hondo Lodge No. 74, AFM of Roswell. He was owner of Bella Italia Restaurant in Fort Worth.

Ed is preceded in death by Jackie in July of 2010, his parents, James A. Ball Sr. and Adele Ball, Brother James A. Jr., William Andrew, and Richard, and sisters, Lillian Ball and Mary Lee Rollow. He is survived by cousins Nancy Perkins of West Monroe, LA and Olive Ann Bethard of Coushatta, LA nephews James A. Ball III of Bartonville, TX, Carol Rollow Shults of Portland, OR, John Wyatt Ball of Arlington, TX, Sally Elizabeth Mizell of Aledo, TX and James Howard Ball of Rowlett, TX.

Visitation will be from 27 p.m., on Monday, November 28, 2011 at LaGrone Funeral Chapel and also on Tuesday before the service. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M., on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Roswell, New Mexico. A Graveside service will be held at 11:00 A.M., on Thursday, December 1, 2011 at the Independence Chapel at the Greenwood Mausoleum in Fort Worth, Texas. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery, 3100 White Settlement Rd., Fort Worth, TX 76107. Rev. Dale W. Plummer of St. Andrews Episcopal Church will officiate, and he will be assisted by Rev. R.J. Bud Milner of St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those wishing to honor Ed Balls life make donations to the St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 505 N. Pennsylvania, Roswell, NM 88201.

Visitation

LaGrone Funeral Chapel
900 South Main
Roswell, NM  88203
Monday, November 28, 2011
27 P.M.

Service

Memorial Service

St. Andrews Episcopal Church
505 N. Pennsylvania Ave
Roswell, NM  88201
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
11:00 A.M.

GRAVESIDE SERVICE

Independence Chapel
Greenwood Mausoleum- 3100 Settlement Rd.
Fort Worth, TX  76107
Thursday, December 1, 2011
11:00 A.M.

Cemetery

Greenwood Memorial Park
3100 White Settlement Rd.
Ft. Worth, TX  76107

Memorial Contributions

505 N. Pennsylvania
Roswell, NM  88201