Braden Lee Ball
October 1, 1911 - January 21, 2006
Braden Lee Ball, recognized as one of Florida's most influential men by Florida Trend Magazine during a newspaper career that spanned nearly a half-century, died Saturday. He was 94.
Born in Newport News, VA, on Oct. 1, 1911, he moved to Northwest Florida as a boy, when the Panhandle was a vast region of piney woods, Model T Fords and rutted clay roads. He attended Palmer Academy in DeFuniak Springs, then, the only post-high school institution in West Florida, and the University of Florida.
His fascination with newspapers began at the age of 10, when he filed a news story with the Pensacola News-Journal about a ship wreck. Seven years later, he joined that
newspaper as an advertising salesman. He later became business manager and then publisher of the Panama City News-Herald and in 1942 was named publisher of the Pensacola News-Journal, a post he held until his retirement in 1976. He devoted his career to helping people, as well as promoting Florida tourism and Northwest Florida beaches,
building better highways and roads and helping establish institutions of higher learning. However, he always was amused that he probably would be best remembered for hosting the annual Pensacola News-Journal Barbecue at his Woodbine Springs Farm. For nearly 20 years, more than 26,000 prominent Florida businessmen, politicians and friends gathered outdoors and under a large tent for a day of food, games, and fellowship.
During his tenure as newspaper publisher, he started the Daily News in Fort Walton Beach, served as president of the Alfred I DuPont Foundation, president and chairman of the
board of the Florida National Bank in Pensacola and director of the St. Joe Paper Co. and the Edward Ball Wildlife Foundation.
He was a man of ideas and vision and his pioneering efforts led to bringing the first four-lane highway to the Panhandle and to the site selection and the founding of the
University of West Florida. For these efforts, he was appointed to the Florida Road Department Board and was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame, was awarded the
honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 2001 and was a member of the UWF Foundation and was a Foundation Fellow. He also was named to the Florida State University
Foundation. He was a member of Pensacola Downtown Rotary Club for 63 years and was named a Paul Harris Fellow.
Impassioned by his dream in the 1940s to put Florida on the map, he served an appointment to the Florida State Advertising Commission, forerunner to the Florida Development Commission. He also accepted appointments to the Florida Turnpike Authority, the Florida Judicial Council and the State Chamber of Commerce.
In 1940, he married the love of his life, Theda Sims, and they were a devoted couple for 65 years. He also is survived by one daughter and her husband, Suzanne and Frank Ray Parkhurst of Blowing Rock, NC, and Pensacola; two sons and their wives, Braden Kirk and Colleen Ball of Pensacola and James Roger and Kristin Ball of Pace, FL. He has seven
grandchildren, Braden and Christy Ball of Pensacola; Lacey Marguerite Parkhurst, Tucson, AZ; Sloane and Christopher Cox, Pensacola; Brooke Parkhurst, New York, NY; Bryan Ball,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Roger Ball Jr., Birmingham, AL; and Steven Ball of Pace, FL. He also is survived by three great-grandchildren, Braden Lee Ball II, Virginia Murphy Ball and
Shelby Kelin Cox.
Honorary pallbearers will be: John Appleyard, William Cummins, Dr. Jack Fleming, Sam Goldenberg, Ted Gund, Robert Hart and the Honorable Roger Vinson. His grandsons and
grandson-in-law, Christopher Cox, will serve as pallbearers.
Visitation will be Monday, January 23, 2006 from 5-7 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.
A Memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Dr. B. Madison Currin officiating.
Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Covenant Hospice, 5041 North 12th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32504 or to the UWF Foundation, or to a charity of choice.
October 1, 1911 - January 21, 2006
Braden Lee Ball, recognized as one of Florida's most influential men by Florida Trend Magazine during a newspaper career that spanned nearly a half-century, died Saturday. He was 94.
Born in Newport News, VA, on Oct. 1, 1911, he moved to Northwest Florida as a boy, when the Panhandle was a vast region of piney woods, Model T Fords and rutted clay roads. He attended Palmer Academy in DeFuniak Springs, then, the only post-high school institution in West Florida, and the University of Florida.
His fascination with newspapers began at the age of 10, when he filed a news story with the Pensacola News-Journal about a ship wreck. Seven years later, he joined that
newspaper as an advertising salesman. He later became business manager and then publisher of the Panama City News-Herald and in 1942 was named publisher of the Pensacola News-Journal, a post he held until his retirement in 1976. He devoted his career to helping people, as well as promoting Florida tourism and Northwest Florida beaches,
building better highways and roads and helping establish institutions of higher learning. However, he always was amused that he probably would be best remembered for hosting the annual Pensacola News-Journal Barbecue at his Woodbine Springs Farm. For nearly 20 years, more than 26,000 prominent Florida businessmen, politicians and friends gathered outdoors and under a large tent for a day of food, games, and fellowship.
During his tenure as newspaper publisher, he started the Daily News in Fort Walton Beach, served as president of the Alfred I DuPont Foundation, president and chairman of the
board of the Florida National Bank in Pensacola and director of the St. Joe Paper Co. and the Edward Ball Wildlife Foundation.
He was a man of ideas and vision and his pioneering efforts led to bringing the first four-lane highway to the Panhandle and to the site selection and the founding of the
University of West Florida. For these efforts, he was appointed to the Florida Road Department Board and was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame, was awarded the
honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 2001 and was a member of the UWF Foundation and was a Foundation Fellow. He also was named to the Florida State University
Foundation. He was a member of Pensacola Downtown Rotary Club for 63 years and was named a Paul Harris Fellow.
Impassioned by his dream in the 1940s to put Florida on the map, he served an appointment to the Florida State Advertising Commission, forerunner to the Florida Development Commission. He also accepted appointments to the Florida Turnpike Authority, the Florida Judicial Council and the State Chamber of Commerce.
In 1940, he married the love of his life, Theda Sims, and they were a devoted couple for 65 years. He also is survived by one daughter and her husband, Suzanne and Frank Ray Parkhurst of Blowing Rock, NC, and Pensacola; two sons and their wives, Braden Kirk and Colleen Ball of Pensacola and James Roger and Kristin Ball of Pace, FL. He has seven
grandchildren, Braden and Christy Ball of Pensacola; Lacey Marguerite Parkhurst, Tucson, AZ; Sloane and Christopher Cox, Pensacola; Brooke Parkhurst, New York, NY; Bryan Ball,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Roger Ball Jr., Birmingham, AL; and Steven Ball of Pace, FL. He also is survived by three great-grandchildren, Braden Lee Ball II, Virginia Murphy Ball and
Shelby Kelin Cox.
Honorary pallbearers will be: John Appleyard, William Cummins, Dr. Jack Fleming, Sam Goldenberg, Ted Gund, Robert Hart and the Honorable Roger Vinson. His grandsons and
grandson-in-law, Christopher Cox, will serve as pallbearers.
Visitation will be Monday, January 23, 2006 from 5-7 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.
A Memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Dr. B. Madison Currin officiating.
Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Covenant Hospice, 5041 North 12th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32504 or to the UWF Foundation, or to a charity of choice.
Braden Lee Ball
October 1, 1911 - January 21, 2006
Braden Lee Ball, recognized as one of Florida's most influential men by Florida Trend Magazine during a newspaper career that spanned nearly a half-century, died Saturday. He was 94.
Born in Newport News, VA, on Oct. 1, 1911, he moved to Northwest Florida as a boy, when the Panhandle was a vast region of piney woods, Model T Fords and rutted clay roads. He attended Palmer Academy in DeFuniak Springs, then, the only post-high school institution in West Florida, and the University of Florida.
His fascination with newspapers began at the age of 10, when he filed a news story with the Pensacola News-Journal about a ship wreck. Seven years later, he joined that
newspaper as an advertising salesman. He later became business manager and then publisher of the Panama City News-Herald and in 1942 was named publisher of the Pensacola News-Journal, a post he held until his retirement in 1976. He devoted his career to helping people, as well as promoting Florida tourism and Northwest Florida beaches,
building better highways and roads and helping establish institutions of higher learning. However, he always was amused that he probably would be best remembered for hosting the annual Pensacola News-Journal Barbecue at his Woodbine Springs Farm. For nearly 20 years, more than 26,000 prominent Florida businessmen, politicians and friends gathered outdoors and under a large tent for a day of food, games, and fellowship.
During his tenure as newspaper publisher, he started the Daily News in Fort Walton Beach, served as president of the Alfred I DuPont Foundation, president and chairman of the
board of the Florida National Bank in Pensacola and director of the St. Joe Paper Co. and the Edward Ball Wildlife Foundation.
He was a man of ideas and vision and his pioneering efforts led to bringing the first four-lane highway to the Panhandle and to the site selection and the founding of the
University of West Florida. For these efforts, he was appointed to the Florida Road Department Board and was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame, was awarded the
honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 2001 and was a member of the UWF Foundation and was a Foundation Fellow. He also was named to the Florida State University
Foundation. He was a member of Pensacola Downtown Rotary Club for 63 years and was named a Paul Harris Fellow.
Impassioned by his dream in the 1940s to put Florida on the map, he served an appointment to the Florida State Advertising Commission, forerunner to the Florida Development Commission. He also accepted appointments to the Florida Turnpike Authority, the Florida Judicial Council and the State Chamber of Commerce.
In 1940, he married the love of his life, Theda Sims, and they were a devoted couple for 65 years. He also is survived by one daughter and her husband, Suzanne and Frank Ray Parkhurst of Blowing Rock, NC, and Pensacola; two sons and their wives, Braden Kirk and Colleen Ball of Pensacola and James Roger and Kristin Ball of Pace, FL. He has seven
grandchildren, Braden and Christy Ball of Pensacola; Lacey Marguerite Parkhurst, Tucson, AZ; Sloane and Christopher Cox, Pensacola; Brooke Parkhurst, New York, NY; Bryan Ball,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Roger Ball Jr., Birmingham, AL; and Steven Ball of Pace, FL. He also is survived by three great-grandchildren, Braden Lee Ball II, Virginia Murphy Ball and
Shelby Kelin Cox.
Honorary pallbearers will be: John Appleyard, William Cummins, Dr. Jack Fleming, Sam Goldenberg, Ted Gund, Robert Hart and the Honorable Roger Vinson. His grandsons and
grandson-in-law, Christopher Cox, will serve as pallbearers.
Visitation will be Monday, January 23, 2006 from 5-7 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.
A Memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Dr. B. Madison Currin officiating.
Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Covenant Hospice, 5041 North 12th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32504 or to the UWF Foundation, or to a charity of choice.
October 1, 1911 - January 21, 2006
Braden Lee Ball, recognized as one of Florida's most influential men by Florida Trend Magazine during a newspaper career that spanned nearly a half-century, died Saturday. He was 94.
Born in Newport News, VA, on Oct. 1, 1911, he moved to Northwest Florida as a boy, when the Panhandle was a vast region of piney woods, Model T Fords and rutted clay roads. He attended Palmer Academy in DeFuniak Springs, then, the only post-high school institution in West Florida, and the University of Florida.
His fascination with newspapers began at the age of 10, when he filed a news story with the Pensacola News-Journal about a ship wreck. Seven years later, he joined that
newspaper as an advertising salesman. He later became business manager and then publisher of the Panama City News-Herald and in 1942 was named publisher of the Pensacola News-Journal, a post he held until his retirement in 1976. He devoted his career to helping people, as well as promoting Florida tourism and Northwest Florida beaches,
building better highways and roads and helping establish institutions of higher learning. However, he always was amused that he probably would be best remembered for hosting the annual Pensacola News-Journal Barbecue at his Woodbine Springs Farm. For nearly 20 years, more than 26,000 prominent Florida businessmen, politicians and friends gathered outdoors and under a large tent for a day of food, games, and fellowship.
During his tenure as newspaper publisher, he started the Daily News in Fort Walton Beach, served as president of the Alfred I DuPont Foundation, president and chairman of the
board of the Florida National Bank in Pensacola and director of the St. Joe Paper Co. and the Edward Ball Wildlife Foundation.
He was a man of ideas and vision and his pioneering efforts led to bringing the first four-lane highway to the Panhandle and to the site selection and the founding of the
University of West Florida. For these efforts, he was appointed to the Florida Road Department Board and was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame, was awarded the
honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 2001 and was a member of the UWF Foundation and was a Foundation Fellow. He also was named to the Florida State University
Foundation. He was a member of Pensacola Downtown Rotary Club for 63 years and was named a Paul Harris Fellow.
Impassioned by his dream in the 1940s to put Florida on the map, he served an appointment to the Florida State Advertising Commission, forerunner to the Florida Development Commission. He also accepted appointments to the Florida Turnpike Authority, the Florida Judicial Council and the State Chamber of Commerce.
In 1940, he married the love of his life, Theda Sims, and they were a devoted couple for 65 years. He also is survived by one daughter and her husband, Suzanne and Frank Ray Parkhurst of Blowing Rock, NC, and Pensacola; two sons and their wives, Braden Kirk and Colleen Ball of Pensacola and James Roger and Kristin Ball of Pace, FL. He has seven
grandchildren, Braden and Christy Ball of Pensacola; Lacey Marguerite Parkhurst, Tucson, AZ; Sloane and Christopher Cox, Pensacola; Brooke Parkhurst, New York, NY; Bryan Ball,
Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Roger Ball Jr., Birmingham, AL; and Steven Ball of Pace, FL. He also is survived by three great-grandchildren, Braden Lee Ball II, Virginia Murphy Ball and
Shelby Kelin Cox.
Honorary pallbearers will be: John Appleyard, William Cummins, Dr. Jack Fleming, Sam Goldenberg, Ted Gund, Robert Hart and the Honorable Roger Vinson. His grandsons and
grandson-in-law, Christopher Cox, will serve as pallbearers.
Visitation will be Monday, January 23, 2006 from 5-7 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.
A Memorial service will be held Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Dr. B. Madison Currin officiating.
Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Covenant Hospice, 5041 North 12th Avenue, Pensacola, FL 32504 or to the UWF Foundation, or to a charity of choice.
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