William L. Ball

William Lester Ball William Lester Ball, age 96, was born at Easton, Maryland, and passed away peacefully at Pennswood Village at Newtown, PA on Friday, March 13, 2015. He was a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in Military Science, a decorated Army Officer during World War II, and served on active duty during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. After attending the Army Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) School in Baltimore, Maryland, he became a Special Agent in Cryptography and Counter Intelligence operations. He attended the Political Analysis School at Oberammergau, Germany, followed by classical Hungarian studies at the Defense Language Institute at Monterey, California. Thereafter, he conducted counterintelligence investigations of US citizens considered for skilled duties for state and national levels. In 1945 as a Special Agent CIC at Heilbronn, Germany, he conducted political investigations of former Nazi military and civilian individuals. In 1949, he was assigned to the 66th CIC Field Office in Nuremberg, Germany, where he conducted investigations to assist with the prosecution of political and military war crimes. Following his tour in Germany, he was assigned to the Staff and Faculty Group at the CIC School at Fort Holabird in Baltimore, Maryland, conducting research and background review of individuals considered for intelligence operations. At Wurzburg, Germany, during November and December 1956, he directed phases of processing and resettlement of Hungarian refugees arriving in the United States who fled to West Germany resulting from the Russian invasion of Hungary in October 1956. He retired from the Army, having attained the rank of Major, in April 1962 and was employed by New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company in Trenton, New Jersey. He investigated cases involving workers compensation fraud and testified in NJ Workers Compensation Courts. He retired from that company in August 1980. He had been a member of the First United Methodist Church of Pennington, and served as a member of the Administration Board. He was a member of the Maryland Genealogical Association and Society; a Compatriot in the Sons of the American Revolution; a member of the National CIC Association; a 60-year member of Mercer Lodge No. 50, F&AM in Trenton; a member of the Army Officers Association; a member of the American Legion; a member of the Trent House Association in Trenton; a former Committee Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America; has been an associate member of the National Association of the Chiefs of Police; and an associate member of the Pennsylvania Superior Officers Law Enforcement Association. He was preceded in death by his parents, William Lester Ball and Clara Klug Ball of Easton, MD; his wife of 48 years, Evlyne Mather Ball of Pennington; and his brother, Rollin Page Ball, 2nd Lt., US Army Air Corps Navigator, killed in action over Germany during World War II. He is survived by his daughter, Cornelia Ball Olde and Warren T. Olde, Jr. of Pennington; a son, Craig William Ball of Trenton; granddaughters, Victoria Olde Voris and Jeffrey R. Voris of Indianapolis, IN; Melissa Olde Wetzel and Ronald J. Wetzel, II of Monclova, OH; Mariah Ball Trover and Jake Trover of California; and great-grandchildren, Malorie Ellen Voris, Jack Theodore Voris, Aiden Joseph Wetzel, and Weston Trover. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, March 31st at the Pennington United Methodist Church, 60 South Main Street, Pennington. Calling hours will be held on Monday, March 30th from 3-5 pm and 7-9 pm at Blackwell Funeral Home, 21 North Main Street, Pennington, NJ 08534. Private military services with full honors will be conducted at Riverview Cemetery in Trenton. The family respectfully requests memorial contributions may be sent to the New Jersey Society Sons of the American Revolution - Eagle Scout Scholarship Fund. Checks payable to: NJSSAR - specify Eagle Scout Scholarship Fund and forward to: Warren Fristensky, NJSSAR Treasurer, 1004 Chimney Ridge Drive, Mountainside, NJ 07092.

Service:

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.

Pennington United Methodist Church
60 S. Main St.,
Pennington, NJ



Visitation:

Monday, March 30, 201 5
3:00 to 5:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Blackwell Memorial Home
21 North Main St.
Pennington, NJ