Birth date: Mar 18, 1960 Death date: May 10, 2015
Michael Wayne Ball, 55, of Ashburn, VA, passed away on Sunday, May 10, 2015 after a two year battle with Cancer. He was born on March 18, 1960 in Altoona, PA. He was the son of Wayne James Ball and Joan Dietrich Ball. In additio Read Obituary
God's Blessing to You. I had the pleasure of working with Mike for a short while. My memories are all so wonderful. Mike was a briliant man, very dedicated to his kraft. I send my deepest sympathies to the entire family and pray for your continued peace and healing as Mike will be deeply missed.
Sincerely
Sharon
Denise and Family,
We are so sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. We never had an opportunity to meet Mike, but it sounds like he was a genuinely wonderful person.
Lisa, Scott, Jordan and Connor Hotaling
Denise, kids, family,
As Cheryl wrote below, you are all in our thoughts and prayers. Most folks who leave us, leave us with such a wide variety of memories. But with Mike, there isn’t a single memory I can recall where it doesn’t involve laughter, story-telling, or famous Wayne quotes. All of which at the time put a smile on our face, and even now, allows some comfort in thinking of him. I’m writing this with a simultaneous tear in my eye and laughter just below the surface, an odd combination of emotions.
Mike had an impact on hundreds of kids around Loudoun County. His knowledge of the games he coached, his ability to think and react on his feet, his way of making even the most difficult game results seem comical, all stuck with me. I happen to be lucky enough to have the distinct pleasure, the most unique situation, of sitting next to him on a bench for hundreds of innings, sharing thoughts that only coaches can share. I would never have made it as long as I did without him.
I can remember his face when I would come back from missing a game, forcing him into acting head coach, something he dreaded. I’d walk up the following practice, and the look was classic Mike. "Here, take this @#$&$ equipment back, I’m done!” and he’d give me the hardest time for a week straight, being so darn funny about the whole thing. We'd argue which of us was going to have to warm up the pitchers, when neither of us donned “equipment” and both of us afraid of being hit in the worse way. On occasion I would volunteer to throw batting practice to the team instead of Mike and he would just start laughing out loud at me, knowing full well I was going to bean at least 2 or 3 players, if not more.
Without a doubt, the two funniest memories of Mike involve two road trips (one Cheryl already mentioned). The first was when he, Jerry Cummings and I took Dave, Ryan and Joey for a long weekend up to Cooperstown to watch the little league world series. We decided to take Jerry’s pop-up camper and stay at a nearby river site. Upon arriving, he and Jerry learned that I had never gone camping a day in my life. I can still recall the look of disbelief on his face. But what followed was a series of days I haven’t laughed so much. So many quotes from that weekend, including the first night we were there, when it was apparent that Jerry would get one of the slide out beds on one side of the camper, and Mike and I were going to have to share the other one. Mike, hunched over in the pop-up, crawls up on to the platform, looks at me and with a totally straight face says “Adam, I am not here to keep you warm.” Jerry and I started laughing so hard and so long, we woke up most of the campsites near us that night.
But the time we all headed to Saratoga for the races may have been one of the funniest weekends of all. I won’t recall all the stories in this post, from playing darts to Stevie Ray Vaughan where you & Cheryl were cheating and Mike & I having no clue; to being at the track and telling Mike between every race that I should bet on Jerry Bailey, then not betting on him, only to have him win 6 of the races that day. Mike would laugh himself into tears retelling that story. But maybe the hardest I’ve ever laughed in my life was when Mike decided to do his imitation of synchronized swimming at the hotel pool. What I wouldn’t do for a video clip of that afternoon.
I just wanted you to know that both you and Mike have always had a marvelous gift; the ability to let someone into your home and your family; it has always felt warm to me. And even over the past few years, when coaching was so far behind us, it always put a smile on my face to see Mike, you and Mathew at the Wing Factory. I would set the imaginary timer on how long it would take before either him or I would start telling stories.
We are all so sorry for your family’s loss. I apologize for taking up so much room with this post. I will miss Mike...
Ball Family and Friends,
Please accept my condolences on the passing of Mike. It was an honor to have known such a great person here at AT&T. May God embrace you in comfort during this difficult time.
Marcia Saunders
Oakton, Virginia
To the Ball family: Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. The times we shared together—baseball, Saratoga, and more—are treasured memories engraved forever in our hearts. We are very sorry for your loss. Mike will be greatly missed by all. The Lewis family
To my dear friend Denise and her beloved family. So sorry to hear of Mike's passing. We shall always remember the baseball games we attended together and the fun times we shared. May God Bless you all and keep you in His arms in this time of need. Sending love and prayers your way, Tom and Barb Bonacquisti
