Clifford Ball

Clifford Neil Ball died peacefully on Sunday, August 2, 2015, in Olathe, Kansas. He was 87 years old.
Cliff was born on a farm six miles west of Olathe on January 20, 1928, and spent his entire life in the Kansas City area.
He joined the Navy in 1945 when he was seventeen and served aboard a minesweeper in the Far East. He and his wife, JoAnn, met in a Sunday School class when they were in high school and were married on June 4, 1948. They were married for 65 years. Cliff was graduated from the Kansas University School of Business in 1950 and went to work for Hallmark Cards the week after his graduation. He remained with Hallmark for forty years and held numerous positions including that of Division Director. He retired in 1990.
Cliff was a Presbyterian Elder (PC-USA) and served the church at both local and regional levels. He served terms as Moderator of Heartland Presbytery and the Synod of Mid-America and was a delegate to General Assembly. He was a member and served on the Session of Southminster Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village.
Many of Cliff's ancestors came to Johnson County, Kansas, in the late 1860s. He enjoyed studying their lives and the history of the county. He served as President of the Olathe Historical Society. His research and long memory of life in Olathe led to his publishing many "Remember When" columns in a local newspaper.
In addition to his parents, Loren Gordon Ball and Edythe Virginia Woolery Ball, he was preceeded in death by two sisters, Marese Laptad and Beverly Gillespie, all of Olathe, and by his wife, JoAnn Boyer Ball who died in December, 2013. He is survived by five children: Neila Nelson (Greg) of Wichita;Malissa Gould (Joe) of Syracuse, Kansas; Twila Culver (Rick) of Spring Hill; Mark Ball (Lisa) of Westwood; and Daniel Ball (Beth) of Richmond, Missouri, seventeen grandchildren, and twelve great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Cheryl Smith (Gary) of Olathe, and brother-in-law, David Boyer, of Atlanta, and by many nieces and nephews.
A visitation for friends and family will be Wednesday, August 5, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home, 14275 Blackbob Road in Olathe. The family will hold a private burial service at Olathe Memorial Cemetery. A public Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held Thursday, August 6, at 2 p.m. at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 63rd and Roe Avenue, in Prairie Village.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in Cliff's honor may be made to Southminster Presbyterian Church, or to a charity of your choosing.


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