BALLARD
Richard William Ballard, age 65, of Alpharetta, GA, entered eternal peace on Monday, January 9th, 2023, at his home in Fulton County. Richard was born on January 31st, 1957, in Clifton Forge, VA, to the late Ralph L. Ballard Jr. and the late Sue H. Ballard of White Sulphur Springs, WV.
Characterized by the brilliant warmth of his spirit and an inherently gracious nature, Richard Ballard is a name that few can say without breaking into a smile. A true Southern gentleman and a maestro of meaningful interaction, Richard could enter a room full of strangers and depart with a wealth of new friends. With an incredibly accomplished life behind him, he could have easily regaled others with tales of his achievements. Yet Richard was the type to yield the floor to others to ensure they knew that they’d been heard. This deference, this redirection of the spotlight, could make the other feel that, if only for that moment, they were the most important person in the world. And for Richard, in that span of time, they were.
Richard Ballard’s life and career orbited around a singular focal point: his absolute love and joy for building and growing relationships. In countless high level leadership roles, first with PepsiCo and later with Panasonic, Richard’s success was derived from his ability both to believe in the potential of others and to make them believe in themselves. His pivotal role in developing team after team of winning individuals helped drive results at unprecedented levels and quickly solidified Richard as the default choice for new and promising initiatives launched by both companies. Armed with beautiful blue eyes and a winning smile that were his trademarks, he made his mark by helping others make theirs.
Anyone privileged enough to have known Richard, to have spent any amount of time with him, knows that his love for God and his family were his heartbeat. Survived by his wife, Denise; his two children, Blake and Blaire; his three grandchildren, Leo, Lucia, and Luisa; his sister, Linda Price, his brother, Ralph Ballard III and his wife, Debbie Ballard, of Charleston, WV; as well as several nieces and nephews, there isn’t a soul he touched that could imagine he is anything but present in their every existing moment. Guiding, protecting, and loving just as unfailingly now as he did in life.
The Ballard family received friends and family on the evening of Thursday, January 26th, at 6 p.m. at Saint Brigid Catholic Church.
A Requiem Mass was held on the morning of Friday, January 27th, 2023, at 11 a.m. at St. Brigid Catholic Church with Fr. Brian Baker officiating and a reception immediately following. A private interment took place later in the afternoon at Green Lawn Cemetery.
In addition to flowers, the family would appreciate donations to be made to the Society of St. Vincent De Paul St. Brigid Catholic Church.
Saint Brigid Catholic Church Bereavement Committee is in charge of the arrangements.
Information submitted by Wallace & Wallace Funeral Home in White Sulphur Springs, WV.
