Trever Wayne Ballard

The oldest of three children, he was born on the 25th of June, 1988 in Charlotte, NC to Rhonda M. Fowler and Stoney Ballard.

At a young age, Trever and his family moved from North Carolina to South Carolina and made their permanent home in Clover, where Trever went on to attend Clover High School. From the time he could walk, Trever showed a pointed interest in all things car related, thanks to his paternal grandpa’s automotive shop. He started by watching, then by helping, and eventually worked for his grandpa at the shop - all the while deepening his passion for building and repairing cars.

Starting at 15 years of age, Trever started working at a local Winn Dixie, and from then on, he worked in the grocery business for a few years. Most recently, Trever was working professionally as a Master Plumber. In his free time and in his personal life, though, Trever was an impressive jack-of-all-trades. Whether the job at hand required knowledge of electrical systems, carpentry, HVAC systems, or anything else you could think of, he usually knew how to fix it already, but if he didn’t, he would be hard at work until he did. Trever was fascinated by that kind of hands-on work, often learning about all the parts and systems just for learning’s sake, and he would exercise his wisdom by fixing any and every related issue that arose for his family and friends.

Part of his never-ending quest for knowledge and invention involved him never throwing any spare or (seemingly) broken part away, no matter how useless it seemed to someone else. He would use old materials to build new things for himself and his loved ones, such as the time he built beds and a pet cage from items he already had on hand. He was a true genius at repurposing, rewiring, and reinventing things to be different, and often better.

Trever was brilliant, and that was obvious to anyone who spent even a few minutes talking with him. He had a wealth of knowledge about so many subjects and he was perpetually delighted to sit down with someone and share what he’d learned so they would know too. There were only a couple notable circumstances where he was either unable or unwilling to share his know-how: he was an adept magician, regularly stunning people with his tricks, and he was a master at hands-on brain teasers.

Despite work and leisure often blending for him, Trever did have a handful of hobbies and interests that were generally just for his pure enjoyment. He loved being outside, whether he was fishing or camping at Lake Jocassee, or kayaking or snowboarding, he always knew how to have the best time in the great outdoors. From a young age, he was particularly enthusiastic about riding – whether it was motorcycles, dirt bikes, mini bikes, go-karts, or any other solo ride with wheels, he loved it all. He was especially thrilled when he could incorporate his love of the outdoors with his passion for fixing and creating; he loved shooting guns, so one day he decided to create his own gun range on his grandma’s land, and to celebrate his wife’s birthday one year, he built a log cabin for them to throw a party in.

Trever was handsome - he had striking blue eyes and he prized his dark, bushy beard. He was also quiet and caring, loving and sweet, and full of compassion for others. He was not much of a sharer, but he was always ready with a listening ear if someone needed to talk. He would concentrate patiently to make sure others felt heard, and even if he didn’t agree with what was being said, he was endlessly respectful of other peoples’ feelings.

Authentic through and through, Trever was loyal; he loved his friends and family to his core, and, in return, they will continue to love and miss him with the same ferocity forever.

Trever has been reunited in Heaven with his maternal grandpa, Wayne Fowler and his paternal grandma, Katy Ballard.

Those left to honor Trever’s memory include his mom, Rhonda M. Fowler; his dad, Stoney Ballard; his sisters, Erica Farrell and husband, Kerick, and Bailey McClintock and husband, Austin; his nephew, Kerick “Kage” Farrell; his maternal grandma, Brenda Fowler; his paternal grandpa, Walter Ballard; his former wife, Penny Wooten; his best friend, Caleb Meyers; as well as numerous loving aunts, uncles, and cousins, and countless treasured friends.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from 1:00pm until 3:00pm on Tuesday, the 14th of June, 2022 at Forest Lawn West Funeral Home, 4601 Freedom Drive in Charlotte. The funeral service is to be conducted at 3:00pm, immediately following the visitation, in the Paul Helton Chapel at the funeral home. The burial will follow at Forest Lawn West Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Trever’s memory to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Humane Society of York County, or the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.