Obituary

William Lewis Ballard (“Bill” or “B-Man”), 72, passed on December 5, 2022, after a very brief illness.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, George L. Ballard and Nannie (Ballard) Simmons, and his eldest brother, Larry Ballard. He is survived by his loving wife, Joyce Broadwell Ballard; his sister, Martha (Glen) Otten; and children, William (Anna) Ballard, Mary Ballard (Deno Tiboris), Anne (Kevin) Ellison, Emily Jordon (Wren Farrar), and Stephanie (Edward) Haden. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren, Caroline and Andrew Ballard, Brandt and Molly Tiboris, Sam Ellison, Lily and Ray Haden, and Pritchard Farrar. Bill was extremely proud of his children and grandchildren and did not hesitate to let them know.

Bill was born on April 24, 1950, in Beckley, West Virginia, where he was raised. He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, and then attended and graduated from WVU. During his college years he was a member of his beloved fraternity, Delta Tau Delta. The stories he recounted from this time were something akin to the movie “Animal House” and not necessarily appropriate for an obituary.  These were truly his “glory days.” Bill was also a loyal Mountaineer fan and the football and basketball games were a priority in his schedule. After a close or stressful game he’d often comment that WVU “had em’ all the way” or that the team had “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.” He never veered from his love for the Mounties.

Nearing the end of his college days, Bill joined the U.S. Army National Guard, and served during the mid-1970s.  In 1979, Bill was accepted to the WVU College of Law, where he graduated in 1982. Bill followed in the footsteps of his “old man” George whom he had watched practice growing up in Beckley. He practiced law in Charleston for more than 30 years and was an experienced litigator.  He loved to tell stories of his life on the “asbestos trail.” And, in general, Bill was an engaging storyteller and always had a good story in his back pocket.

On June 30, 2005, Bill and Joyce got married. They loved each other fiercely. For many years they enjoyed travelling to Cape Cod and tropical locales, channeling Jimmy Buffet.  Bill also carried special friendships from his formative years at Woodrow Wilson High School and WVU through his life, and truly felt at home with these friends. During Covid, they started weekly Zoom calls to catch up and it was one of the highlights of his retirement.  Bill was a one-of-a-kind man, and will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

Memorial service will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 10, 2022, at Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home, Charleston, West Virginia.

Condolences can be sent to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com.

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.