Carl Ballard

CARL CECIL BALLARD

Ballard, Carl Cecil, age 92 of Orlando passed away on May 23, 2020. Born April 7, 1928 to Fred and Edna Ballard. He was raised in Geneva, Florida, and loved living on Lake Harney which gave him fond memories of his childhood. He attended the Geneva School (grades 1-6), before moving to Orlando to stay with his Uncle Wilson. He attended 7th grade at Cherokee Junior High School. His family then moved to Maitland where he graduated from Winter Park High School, lettering in football. “Go Wildcats”! WWII was in progress and after graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corp. Thankfully, the war ended and he was never deployed. Shortly after being honorably discharged, he returned to his family in Maitland. There, he met his future wife Mary, and after a short courtship they married on May 22, 1946. They were married for almost 65 years, before Mary’s death in 2013. From a young age, Carl had a fascination for all things related to flying, and thanks to the GI Bill/Education Benefits, he began flying lessons on June 30, 1947. According to his pilot log book he flew in a J3 Cub airplane and was only in the air for 35 minutes, but he was hooked. He dreamed of obtaining his pilot’s license and possibly pursuing a career in aviation. With the demands of starting a new family and making ends meet, an aviation career was not meant to be, but he never lost his passion for flying. He ultimately would put off obtaining his license until June 31, 1966. A career in firefighting began with the Winter Park Fire Department, but would eventually culminate with the Orlando Fire Department, where he would obtain the rank of Deputy Chief over Firefighting Operations. Retiring in 1979, he enjoyed this career and was proud to have been involved with establishing Orlando’s Firefighter’s Union. In his first year of retirement, he built a grandfather clock from a kit, taking him almost a year to complete. After the passing of his mother, Edna, in 1987, he and Mary moved to the Burnsville, North Carolina, area to mountain property bought earlier during his career. There they built a retirement home doing much of the construction work themselves. He loved the changing of seasons the mountains offered. This would be his residence until 2012 when he returned to Orlando due to Mary’s health issues. Mary passed a year later. After her death he lost interest in returning to the North Carolina property. Carl also enjoyed TV repair, sailing, 35mm photography and black and white film development, building a 12’ wooden boat, refurbishing VW’s, metal detecting, owned an orange grove, raised livestock, and obtained a concealed weapon permit. He was an avid reader, especially about WWII aviation. Carl is survived by sons Alan (Elizabeth) of Lilburn, Georgia; Gary (Patricia) of Orlando; Brett (Joy) of Orlando; and daughter Spring of Gainesville, GA, along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Carl was loved and will be missed. A graveside service will be held Saturday, May 30, 2020, at 11 am at the Geneva Cemetery.

**Due to the COVID -19 Pandemic, for the health and safety of all who loved Carl, the family requests to keep the funeral service to only immediate family in attendance. All are encouraged to share memories, photos, and sentimental thoughts in honor of Mr. Carl Ballard please visit the Tribute Wall.