Thomas Michael Ball

Thomas Michael (Tom) Ball, passed away peacefully in California on January 3, 2024, after a long and valiant battle with Lewy Body Dementia. 

Tom was born in 1947 in Seattle, Washington to Walter and MaryAnne Ball. He was the third of four brothers, Walt, Pat, Sid, and also had a sister, Maureen. They grew up together on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Tom graduated from Bainbridge Island High School in 1965 and joined the US Army later that year. He was stationed at Fort Bragg before serving in Vietnam with the 14 th Combat Engineer Battalion. While in Vietnam, Tom earned several campaign medals as well as a sharpshooter badge for marksmanship. He was also a radio technician specializing in cryptography. He was promoted several times, and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in 1968.

Tom returned home to Washington State where he lived most of the rest of his life. He graduated from The Evergreen State College with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and later returned there to earn a Masters Degree in Public Administration. His spent his career working in human services and corrections. He worked for the Thurston County District Court for 25 years, spearheading DUI and seatbelt programs. He retired as the Director of Probation and Pre-trial Services in 2009 and then worked part-time as a Probation Officer for the Nisqually Indian Tribe for 12 years. Tom also taught corrections courses for St. Martin's University. He was a vital member of the community, donating time to many organizations, including Olympia Kiwanis and various youth sports.

Most important to Tom was his family. He was a dedicated husband and loving father and grandfather. He could always be found coaching or with a camera in his hand at a child's sporting event or performance capturing the moments he most cherished. Tom is survived by his wife, Cathy and their three children, Sharry. Nick, and Conor, as well as nine grandchildren - Zane, Ruby, Simon,

Mariko, Maxim, Lawrence, Bohdan, Nataliya, and Annika.

Tom will always be remembered for his kind heart and warm personality. Wherever he went he had a great story to tell and a joke to make us laugh.

A funeral mass will take place at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 1310 Madison Avenue North, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 on Saturday, May 4 at 11 AM. There will be a reception immediately following in the parish hall. A military honor guard ceremony and interment of Tom’s ashes will take place at Port Blakely Cemetery, 4375 Old Mill Road, Bainbridge Island at 3 PM that day, Saturday. May 4.

The family is asking that any remembrance of Tom be made in the form of donation to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, Lilburn, GA – lbda@lbda.org

Graveside services entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island, WA