Coached wrestling, football, and track at MHS
Published in the December 22, 2017 edition
MELROSE — Francis (Frank) T. Ball, Jr., 83, of Melrose, died peacefully at his home on December 15, 2017. Frank was born in Brookline on December 30, 1933, the youngest of three children, to the late Francis Sr. and Margaret Ball. Raised in Brookline, he graduated from Brookline High School in 1953 where he was quarterback for the football team. He then graduated from Springfield College in 1957. After Springfield, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He was honorably discharged after 4 years of service.
He began his teaching career in Bethesda Md. and then a stop at The Hotchkiss School in Conn. He then moved on to Melrose High School where he was a Physical Education teacher and coach for over 30 years. He coached wrestling, football and track at Melrose high school. His wrestling teams were very successful. In his 15 years as a head coach, his teams won 14 Middlesex league titles. Many of his former wrestlers have reached out to him over the years to let him know that he had such a positive influence on their lives. He is a member of the Melrose High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Massachusetts Wrestling Hall of Fame. A coach to the end, he critiqued a video of his grandson wrestling two days before he passed. To provide for his family, he worked three jobs and still found the time to attend school in the evenings to earn a graduate degree from Boston University.
He married his beloved wife, Viola Claire Ryan, on November 17, 1962. In 1968, they settled in Melrose to raise their three children. In retirement from teaching and coaching, he continued to work at Wonderland Dog track, travel with his wife and was an avid reader. In 2005, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. With the odds against him, he survived surgery and treatment only to see the cancer return two years later. He fought through his chemotherapy treatment once again refusing to give up.
He was the loving father to James. F. Ball and his wife Linda of Stafford Va., Jacquelyn M. Ball of Seattle Wash., and Mark H. Ball and his wife Elizabeth of Taunton. He was the proud grandfather of Shelby, Jacob, James, Nathan and Sadie. Caring Brother of Nancy Berry and her late husband Dr. Tom Berry of Scituate, and the late Marjorie Hewitt and her late husband Fred. He was also survived by nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Visiting hours will be held at the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Friday, December 22, from 4-8 p.m. The procession from the Gately Funeral Home will be on Saturday, December 23, at 8:45 a.m., followed by a Mass of christian burial in Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 1155 Main St., Wakefield at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Burial in Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. For directions and to sign online condolence visit www.gatelyfh.com.
