Obituary for David Reinhart Ballo David R Ballo passed away at Harborview Hospital in Seattle on September 20, 2018, due to injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on August 30, 2018. David was born on September 29, 1945 in Spokane, Washington. David’s parents were Ray and Pearl Ballo of Chelan Falls, WA where he spent his childhood; graduating from Chelan High School in 1963.
Following graduation, Dave attended Wenatchee Valley College for a year. With his sense of adventure and travel Dave spent the next 12 years traveling around the western United States living and working at places such as Boeing in Seattle, Stehekin with Guy Imus running pack horses, the Big Hole in Montana on a cattle ranch, and a short time in California. While working for Joe Zink Truck Brokers in Portland, Oregon, Dave decided to buy a tractor trailer and become a long haul trucker.
He visited every state in the United States except Hawaii and Alabama. He purchased a small cabin in Lake Chelan that had been the Lakeside Post Office at one time, and spent his time there when he wasn’t out on his truck. In 1982 Dave met Susan Praetorius in Spokane, and they married in 1983.
Dave decided to go back to college, and received his degree in HVAC commercial refrigeration from Spokane Community College in 1986. Following graduation, Dave and Susan moved to Chelan where Dave worked for Trout, and then Manson Growers. He was also an EMT in Manson.
In 1991 Erin Elizabeth was born, and in 1996 Spencer Guy joined them. In 1999 the Ballo’s moved to Kennewick, where Dave worked first at Tree Top in Prosser, and then joined the Richland School District. He worked there for the last 18 years, and was still working the day before the accident.
In 1990 Dave learned he had been adopted, and by doing a search, found both of his birth families; the Robert Miller family in Kansas and Lucille Heywood Smith in Weippe, Idaho. He met and maintained relationships with both families, becoming especially close to Lucille. They enjoyed many years together, doing everything from snowmobiling in McCall Idaho, to exploring the area around her home in Arizona and going for long drives in the country near Weippe.
He rarely missed the Weippe rodeo and family reunion. Dave enjoyed reading, repairing any and everything, history, travel, flying, playing cribbage, and visiting with people. Every year he baked and decorated gingerbread cookies for Christmas.
Dave was a faithful friend, and had a big heart for anyone in need. He visited the sick, attended funerals for those that passed, and was always ready to help wherever he could. As he neared retirement, he bought a vintage motorcycle and began meeting with the Retro Riders Vintage motorcycle club.
He was a regular for coffee on Saturday mornings at the Sports Page, belonged to a Wednesday night Christian men’s group and started an informal men’s Friday morning coffee and prayer time. Dave attended Bethel Church in Richland. Dave was especially proud of Spencer and Erin and worked well after his retirement age so they could both have a college education.
He often joked he had enjoyed his retirement in his youth. He was humble and hardworking and dedicated to his family. Dave is survived by his wife Susan, of Kennewick; daughter Erin of Richland and son Spencer of San Mateo, CA.
A Memorial service will be held Saturday, September 29, 2018 ~ 11:00AM at the First Lutheran Church 418 Yelm Street, Kennewick, WA. Memorials may be made to the Union Gospel Mission P.O. Box 1443 Pasco, WA 99301 or Chelan Museum P.O. Box 1948 Chelan, WA 98816 To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of David Reinhart Ballo please visit our Sympathy Store.
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