Jack Lee Ballew

© Tahlequah Daily Press Tahlequah, Oklahoma April 02, 2012

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

TAHLEQUAH — Jack Lee Ballew, a resident of Tahlequah, died Tuesday evening, March 27, 2012, in Tahlequah City Hospital. Services will be held at Hart Funeral Home on Monday, April 2, at 10:30 a.m. Visitation will be from 6:30-8 p.m. on Sunday, April 1, at Hart Funeral Home. Internment will be at the Tahlequah City Cemetery.

Jack was born July 17, 1937, to Billie Ballew and Comanche (Still) Ballew. He attended school in many places in the United States, as well as Cherokee County, since his step-father traveled with his work. He attended school in Canada for two years and also spent two high school years at Oklahoma Military Academy, where he was an outstanding athlete in swimming and track. His senior year he attended Bellflower High School in California, where he and three others broke a U.S. record in the four-mile relay. Jack served in the U.S. Navy for four years.

He was in charge of electronics for his ship. He was very proud to serve his country. He attended Northeastern State College for two years studying mainly chemistry and physics. Then he attended Oklahoma State University for two years studying electrical engineering.

For several years Jack worked for W.A. Chester Inc., a company from Long Island, N.Y., that provided high voltage underground electrical substations for major U.S. cities. He worked mainly on the East Coast. Jack later partnered with his brother, Ray Ballew, in Ballew Construction, then owned a small computer company, and finally sold life insurance before retiring.

Jack was active in the Lions Club in Manassas, Va., for several years. He was an active member of the Democrat Party and member of the American Legion Post 50. He also served one term on the Tahlequah City Council. Jack loved helping people and did so in many ways without seeking acclaim.

He was a man of honor and a loyal American. He was always interested in the happenings of the city, the state, the nation, and the world. As a small boy, he bought a newspaper with part of his allowance on Saturday and sat on the curb to read it. Dinner with his family always included a discussion of what was happening in the United States political system, and of what possible outcomes there might be. His children felt that they had a private tutor in social studies and political science. He always warned his family not to do anything to dishonor their country. Jack was very proud of his Cherokee heritage.

He was a good family man. He worked with his children to teach them math skills before they needed the skills for classes. In Manassas, he worked one job and had a water conditioning business for extra income, but still found time to attend his children's karate and judo classes in Falls Church, Va. He coached them in soccer and attended most of their sports events. Most important, he listened to them and attempted to help them with their problems. As a grandparent, he worked with his grandson, Morgan, with his math and sports, and took great pride in him. His contact with his granddaughter, Luciana, through the Skype camera was a thrill for him as we clapped at her antics and then watched her clap and throw kisses. As a son, he assisted his mother so that she could remain independent in her home. As a husband, he was very supportive and loyal. Jack was the head of his household.

He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Emma and Idus Killebrew, with whom he had lived part of his childhood. He was also predeceased by his father, Billie Ballew; his step-father, Sessler McCracken; step-mother, Vivian Ballew; brother, Bob McCracken; and brother, Billie Joe Ballew.

Survivors include his mother, Comanche McCracken; his wife, Margie (Ritch) Ballew; son, Bart Ballew and wife Ingrid of Jacksonville, Fla.; daughter, Elizabeth Ballew of Sydney, Australia; and a son, Kevin Ballew of Tahlequah. Survivors also include two beloved grandchildren, Morgan Rhys Ballew and Luciana Ballew. His sibling survivors include Clara Fisher of Southwest City, Mo., James Ballew of Dallas, Texas, Ray Ballew of Dennison, Texas, and Brenda Ward of Corona, Calif. Survivors also include many nephews, nieces, and friends.

Pallbearers for this service are: Joe Adair, Mike Brown, J.R. Denwalt, Norman Fisher, Ivan Holmes and Jim Wilson. Honorary pallbearers are: Larry Adair, Gilbert Bigby, Mike Corn, Burt Mahaney, Jack Parish, Leon Rice and Ginny Wilson.

|B Surnames Page|  |Tahlequah Cemetery Page|  |Cherokee County Cemetery Page|  |Home|

---

This site may be freely linked, but not duplicated in any way without consent.
All rights reserved! Commercial use of material within this site is prohibited!
© 2000-2024 Oklahoma Cemeteries

The information on this site is provided free for the purpose of researching your genealogy. This material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, for your own research, as long as this message remains on all copied material. The information contained in this site may not be copied to any other site without written "snail-mail" permission. If you wish to have a copy of a donor's material, you must have their permission. All information found on these pages is under copyright of Oklahoma Cemeteries. This is to protect any and all information donated. The original submitter or source of the information will retain their copyright. Unless otherwise stated, any donated material is given to Oklahoma Cemeteries to make it available online. This material will always be available at no cost, it will always remain free to the researcher.