Thursday, January 27, 2022

Billy Ray Ballenger

Billy Ray Ballenger, age 80, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Wednesday January 26, 2022, at his home in Louisville, Mississippi. Funeral services will be held in the Nowell-Massey Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, January 29 at 10 a.m. with Rev. Kenneth Hall officiating. Visitation will be the day of the service at Nowell-Massey Funeral Home in Louisville from 9:30 a.m. until service time. Interment will immediately follow the service in Memorial Cemetery.

Bill was born August 13, 1941, to Earl and Esther Barton Ballenger in Dora, Alabama. He enjoyed hunting and was an avid Alabama football fan but most of all he loved to spend time with his family. He answered the call of his country by serving eight years in the United States Air Force as an aircraft mechanic and later retired as a truck driver traveling all over the United States.

Bill is survived by his loving wife of 46 years Sandra Dukes Ballenger and his children: Christina (Bradley) Williams, Nanette Lane (JJ), Billy Ballenger, Tammy Bressler, Amanda Wallace, and Charlie Ballenger. One of his greatest joys was being “PawPaw” to his 12 grandchildren: Alexis Rae Ballenger, Meagan Ballenger, Brendan Ballenger, Quinton Lane, Kerrie Wallace, Kyle Wallace, Drayton Burton, Jeffery Burnette, David Burnette, Elizabeth Belk Hunter, Randall Belk, and Shayla Ballenger; his great-grandchildren Audrey Raye Davis and Braylon Reide Lane as well as other great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Bill is also survived by his four sisters: Faye (David) Creel, Sue (Jim) Ponds, Linda (Freddie) Davenport, and Janet (Keith) Chism. He was preceded in death by his son Greg Ballenger, his granddaughter Nicole Burnett, his great-granddaughter Kelsey Nicole Burnett, and his parents.

Serving as pallbearers are Brendan Ballenger, JJ Jenkins, Austin Johnson, Quinton Lane, Jamie Nash, and Bradley Williams. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials in honor of Bill be given to the American Heart Association online at heart.org.

Services are under the direction of Nowell-Massey Funeral Home, 724 North Columbus Avenue, Louisville, MS. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family by signing the guest register at www.nowellmasseyfuneralhome.com.