Mark Ballard – East Texas News

Mark Allen Ballard, 61, of Sanger, Texas, passed away on September 18, 2024 at his home.

A gathering of family and friends on Sunday, September 29, 2024 was followed by a graveside service at the Campground Cemetery Pavilion in Woodville at 2:00 p.m. Mark Tolar will take over.

Mark was born on August 30, 1963 in Bellaire, Texas to Charles (Buster) Ballard and Era Jo Henry Ballard. He spent his early childhood years in Deer Park, Texas, where his father was the owner of Bayshore Engineers, Inc. When Mark was eleven years old, his family moved to a farm outside Woodville. Mark and his brother Chris quickly learned how to manage livestock, bale hay, operate farm equipment and enjoy a life of work and play on the land. During these years Mark was an avid reader and enjoyed restoring old cars and riding motorcycles. He was a loving brother to his little sister Melissa. Mark also began pursuing a childhood dream of learning to fly airplanes, taking his first lessons in Deer Park and at the Tyler County Airport in Woodville.

Mark graduated from Woodville High School in 1981 and began his studies at Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He loved his time at TCU and made lifelong friends there. He often brought his college friends to the “farm” in Woodville and gave them “the time of his life,” one friend recalled. He graduated from TCU in 1986.

After college, Mark continued to pursue his interest in flying and continued working toward his commercial pilot's license. His first job in the aviation industry was as a flight instructor in Amarillo, Texas. He then flew as a captain for Mesa Airlines and also served as a pilot for Flight Safety International. Mark was chief pilot for Silicon Specialties, Inc. for many years. He was devoted to the company and was in his element flying and overseeing the aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 605.

Mark was a peacemaker, a kind man, a great listener and a loyal friend. A Texan at heart, Mark was descended from settlers of the Republic of Texas. Flying was his passion and his childhood dream come true. He loved and adored his daughter Holly. She was the light of his life.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Buster and Jo Ballard.

He is survived by his daughter Holly Ballard and fiancé Jonathan Grable of Ft. Value; brother Chris Ballard and wife Marian of Kingwood, Tx; sister Melissa Scroggins and husband Tommy of Lexington, South Carolina; aunt Barbara Calderon of Galveston, Tx and aunt Sue Helms of Pasadena, Tx; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Foundation, PO Box 268, Marlton, NJ 08053.

Services are under the direction of Stringer Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville.