Eugene Hugh Ball M.D.

Eugene Hugh Ball, M.D., died on Friday, April 24, 2015, at the age of 93. He was born on June 26, 1921, at home in the Stanley community, Portageville, Missouri, the fifth son of Albert and Susie Ball. Dr. Ball was a WWII army veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart, three Bronze Stars and the Prisoner of War Medal, among other recognitions. Dr. Ball experienced Pearl Harbor and was a member of the military government until commissioned and assigned to the 36th Infantry Division, serving in North Africa. Dr. Ball participated in the first landing at Salerno, Italy. Upon that landing, he received head injuries from tank machine guns, and was evacuated to the German troop hospital in Cassino, Italy. Dr. Ball was declared Killed in Action and his family memorialized him in Missouri, as he was shipped out with wounded German troops to remain in another hospital in Bavaria until November, 1943, at which time he had recovered sufficiently to be transferred to a POW camp in Schubin, Poland. When the Russians began their push to Berlin in 1944, the Germans marched Dr. Ball and his fellow POWs toward Berlin in blizzard conditions, completing the trip by train to camp in Berlin. He was soon liberated by Russian forces, who helped him reach US forces. He returned to the states in May, 1945, discharged as Captain, US Infantry. Dr. Ball entered St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1946, graduating in 1949, then entered University of Arkansas Medical School in 1955, graduating in 1959. He practiced general medicine in Blytheville, Arkansas, until entering residency in Psychiatry, completing in 1974, after which he practiced general psychiatry in Rogers, Arkansas, retiring in 1991. Dr. Ball served his country, his communities, his church, and his family his entire life, ensuring the availability of education, transportation, food and shelter were available for those in need, and in the end years, championed the rights of veterans to medical and psychiatric care. He lived the majority of his retirement years in Springdale, Arkansas, and, for a short time, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by three wives, Lily Powell Ball, Sandra Riley Ball, and Wanda Abshire Ball, three daughters, Suzanne Ball, Judith Lee Blake, and Sandra Kay Ball, also six brothers, Tommy Ball, Charlie Ball and Paul Ball of Portageville, Missouri, W.L. Ball of Florida, Calvin Ball of Indiana, Harold Ball of Springdale, Arkansas, one sister, Naomi Poole of Texas, and one half-sister, Alvine Hawks. He was survived by two brothers, Phillip Ball of Springdale, Arkansas, and Ralph Ball of Hayti, Missouri, two sisters, Edna Pease of Paris, Tennessee, and JoAnn Mack of Navarre, Florida, two daughters, Shelley Ball and Shannon Nolan of Centerton, Arkansas, and nine grandchildren, Nathan Wu-Falkenborg of Singapore, Katy Falkenborg-Moseley of South San Francisco, California, Hayward Blake, III, of Alameda, California, Elliott Blake of Berkeley, California, Ashlyn Allison, Charley Ball Fuller, Makenzie Nolan, Joseph Nolan and Alexander Nolan of Centerton, Arkansas. A gathering of friends will take place on Wednesday, April 29 from 6 to 8pm at Sisco Funeral Chapel of Springdale. A memorial graveside service with Military Honors will be Thursday, April 30 at 2pm at Fayetteville National Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at www.siscofuneral.com

Eugene Hugh Ball M.D.

June 26, 1921 - April 24, 2015