Dorothy "Dot" Ball's Obituary
Dorothy Stallard Ball, age 79, a current resident of Tavares, Fl., after spending the previous 50+ years in Eustis, was joyously reunited in heaven on Saturday morning January 14th with her husband Don and son Don, Jr., who both predeceased her in 1998. Dot was born to R.E. and Maude Stallard on October 14, 1932 in Harlan, Kentucky. She had an older sister, Patsy Stallard, who resided in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Patsy predeceased her in 2010. She spent her youth and schooling growing up in Kentucky and Tennessee until falling in love one summer with a handsome lifeguard at the community swimming pool. As a young bride of 19, she and that lifeguard, Donald C. Ball Sr., started their life together in Harlan. They later had two sons, Don, Jr. and Robby while living there. In 1956 they made the decision to move from Harlan to prevent their sons from possibly growing up in the coal mines. Along with her in-laws, Clinton C. and Pawnee Ball, they all settled in Eustis, Florida. In 1964 the family of rough and tumble boys that she nurtured was blessed with a daughter and sister, Betsy Jane Ball, now known as Betsy Ball Cox. It is here that the young mom and wife grew into the person more recently known as "Momma Dot" or "Grandma Dot". Raising a family in Eustis at that time was a perfect scenario. Dot became a team mom for the boys, a Brownie leader for her daughter, a PTA champion for all three and created a home that always had a spare seat at the dinner table or a spare bed for any of the kids' friends. She stayed busy doing many other activities for her family and friends, very seldom focusing on herself. She was a long time member of the First Untied Methodist Church of Eustis and even to this day had a loving group of friends that played bridge multiple days a week. Many of these ladies have been doing this together for 40-50 years. She loved and cherished her friends dearly. Dot loved her family very much, showering them with her kindness, care and generosity. She is survived by her children Robby(Margie) Ball of Orlando, and Betsy Ball Cox (Mark Delezenne) of Eustis, daughter-in-law, Donna Ball of Punta Gorda, Florida, previous son-in-law Charles Cox of Grand Island, eight grandchildren; Amanda Ball, Clint Ball, Kevin Ball, Bryan Ball, Ashley Ball, Dylan Cox, Chase Cox, Ashley Delezenne, and one great-grandson, Cooper Robert Ball. In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Cornerstone Hospice House, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, Fl., 32778. Final resting place is in Lakeside Memory Gardens, Eustis, Florida. Memorial services, with Pastor David Leonard officiating, were held at the First United Methodist Church of Eustis (Sturm Chapel) at 11:30 AM on Saturday, January 21st. You may leave a personal message by opening the guestbook below.
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