Jo Anne Ballard, a Washington State native and (37+) year resident of Keyport, WA, passed away at home attended by family on 26 Nov 2024 following her many-year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 78 years of age at the time of her passing.
Jo Anne Dick was born at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, WA on May 23, 1946, to Richard Roberts Dick and Marjorie Elaine Dyer Dick as the eldest of three. She moved with her folks to Keyport, WA in 1950 where she grew up, and even enjoyed a reign as a Poulsbo, WA Viking Fest Princess. She was a 1964 graduate of North Kitsap High School and a proud member of the NK Viking Marching Band. She attended the University of Washington, was a member of the Husky Marching Band, and took a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography. She went on to earn a Master of Science in Information Administration and accepted a position as a Children’s Librarian with the Seattle Public Library.
She married fellow UW graduate and Husky Marching Band member, 2Lt Robert Harry Ballard, USAF, of Bellingham, WA, on July 18, 1970, at the McChord AFB Chapel, WA. She joined him on his U.S. Air Force trek during which four children joined their crew: David Patrick, born on Wright-Patterson AFB, OH in 1971, Michael Paul, born in 1975, Stephen William, born on Vandenberg AFB, CA in 1979, and Laura Elaine, born on Maxwell AFB, AL in 1983.
Jo Anne spent these 30+ years on the road around the country serving her family and her neighbors. She was a dedicated volunteer in support of the W. T. Woodson High School Cavalier Marching Band; and, over her 15-year tenure as a “band parent,” orchestrated the raising of approximately $250,000 in support of that organization. In her spare time, she and her Suburban could be counted on to haul kids and goods to all the various sports and after-school music and ballet programs. She managed the family household solo in Fairfax, VA for three years while Colonel Ballard was “remoted” to Los Angeles Air Force Base, in El Segundo, CA.
She also spent two full summers as the head cook for a Junior Drum & Bugle Corps (The Crossmen, West Chester, PA); feeding 170+ people, 4 meals a day out of a mobile kitchen, while touring over 14,000 miles each summer. In later years, she also spent a couple of summers in the kitchen crew touring with another of her kid’s corps (The Santa Clara Vanguard, Santa Clara, CA).
Col & Mrs. Ballard retired and returned home to WA in 2004 and took up residence to the present in the log house built by Jo Anne’s parents on the south shore of Liberty Bay in Keyport, WA.
Jo Anne was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Dennis Michael Dick. She is survived by her husband of 54+ years, Robert, her sister, Colleen Louise Dick Ballard, and her 4 children (and 8 grandchildren): David Patrick (Laura Elizabeth, Leah Katherine) of Bogart, GA; Michael Paul (Mary Anne, Katherine Rose) of Auburn, AL; Stephen William (Crystal Lee, Brayden Maxwell) of Manassas, VA; and Laura Elaine Herdman (Tyler Matthew, Nathan Alexander) of Purcellville, VA, and numerous cousins, nieces & nephews.
A Vigil will be held at Moles Farewell Tributes located at 2465 Lakeway Dr. in Bellingham, WA. from 5:00PM – 7:30PM on January 2nd.
Funeral services will be held the following day at 10:30AM at Church of the Assumption located at 2116 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham, WA 98225 followed by a reception.
Jo Anne will be laid to rest at a committal service at Moles Farewell Tributes – Greenacres Memorial Park, Ferndale, WA. immediately following.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to “Friends of Fircrest School”; in honor of a longtime family friend, 15230 15th Ave NE Shorewood, WA 98155, or The Alzheimer Association of Washington via www.alz.org/alzwa.
Please visit www.molesfarewelltributes.com to share your memories of Jo.
