| | Mary Joyce Ballou 
HAINES CITY -- Mrs. Mary Joyce Ballou was a nature enthusiast who made countless friends through the campgrounds she and her husband owned and operated through the years.
The former part owner of Paradise Island Campground in Haines City and owner, along with her husband, of Camp Mary at Lake Hatchineha died of kidney failure Wednesday (Feb. 8, 2006) in Haines City. She was 66.
"Whatever I wanted to do or whatever she wanted to do, we did it together," said her husband, Charles Ballou. "She would say, `Let's go fishing' " and we would go fishing. She enjoyed the outdoors, camping, getting out. . . . We traveled all over the country. Just before she had kidney problems, we took a trip to Alaska. That was about five years ago."
The couple would have celebrated their 46th anniversary in March.
Born in Cadyville, N.Y., on Dec. 27, 1939, Mrs. Ballou and her husband came to Haines City from Lighthouse Point in 1976.
Along with a partner, they owned and operated Paradise Island Campground in Haines City. In 1981, she and her husband purchased Camp Marie at Lake Hatchineha, changing the name to Camp Mary, after Mrs. Ballou. They sold Paradise Island Campground in 1983 and continued operating Camp Mary.
Mrs. Ballou and her husband belonged to the Gold Wing Road Riders Association and enjoyed taking long motorcycle road trips.
"At one time, all three kids had their Gold Wings and we had our Gold Wing," Charles Ballou said. "We actually left Florida with our daughter and youngest son on his bike and rode to northern California to Michigan to Missouri and the Smokies and then back home. That was 20 years ago, and the kids still remember it today. It was a beautiful trip."
Mrs. Ballou was a member of the Haines City and Lake Wales chambers of commerce. She was a former member of the Haines City and Lake Wales computer club. She was a Catholic.
In addition to her husband, Charles Ballou, Mrs. Ballou is survived by her sons, Frank Ballou, Malabar, Mark Ballou, Loma Linda, Calif.; daughter, Darlene Osborn, Groveland; sisters, Joan O'Connell, Cadyville, N.Y., and Sharon Canale, Jefferson City, Mo.; four grandchildren; and five step-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Oak Ridge Funeral Care, Haines City. Services will follow at 3 p.m. at the funeral home chapel.
Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Florida, 1040 Woodcock Road, Suite 19, Orlando, FL 32803.
By Rhonda Gentle
The Ledger
|
