Mary Anna Ball

Mary Anna Ball, (GMom, as she was lovingly known to her family and close friends), 97 years old, died on Sunday, October 29, 2017, surrounded by loved ones at the Lifepath Hospice, Melech Hospice House in Temple Terrace, FL. Her strong will to live, faith in God, and the love and prayers of family and friends carried her through the difficult last weeks.

Born in Baltimore, MD on May 4, 1920, the daughter of Harry G. Newcomer, Sr. and Mary G. (Mumaw) Newcomer, Mary Anna was raised in Baltimore during the Great Depression. She met and married her husband, Oscar W. Ball, Jr., while they both lived on Keswick Road in Baltimore. They were married in 1941 and lived in the Remington section of Baltimore. After Oscar returned from WWII, they bought a home in the Woodberry neighborhood and lived there for 47 years. They vacationed in Ocean City, MD where they created many wonderful memories. Following Oscar’s passing in 1994, Mary spent time with her sister, Charlotte Stewart in Baltimore. In 2000, Mary moved to Columbia, SC to be near her son, Donald. Don and wife, Cecilia moved to Tampa, FL in 2005 and in 2007, Mary moved to the Tampa Bay area to be closer to them.

She is survived by her doting son, Donald W. Ball and wife Cecilia of Tampa, FL; her adoring grandchildren, Christopher J. Ball and Lauri A. Ball Sweeney of Orlando, FL; Christopher and Connor Grim of Tampa, FL; cherished great grandchildren Steven W. Ball, Brittany Sweeney, Alyson Sweeney, Peyton Ball, Cassidy Sweeney, Madilyn Ball, Taylor Ball and Christopher Ball; great, great granddaughter, Kynsli Beck; and beloved sister and niece, Charlotte Stewart of Millsboro, DE and Sandra Becker of Ijamsville, MD, respectively. In addition to her husband, Mary is predeceased by her sisters, Margaret Stewart, Mildred Sunderland and brother, Harry Newcomer, Jr.

Mary loved homemaking and being home for her son. She kept an immaculate house which she meticulously decorated for various seasons. Her favorite past times were spending time with her family, dancing, playing cards, shopping, going to the hairdresser and crossword puzzles. After moving to Tampa, Mary also greatly enjoyed spending time at the Seasons Fresh Café, owned and operated by her son and daughter-in-law, where she would fastidiously polish and wrap the silverware while enjoying conversations with the customers.

Services will be held on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at 11:00 am at the Burgee-Henss-Seitz, Funeral Home, Inc. 3631 Falls Road, Baltimore, Maryland.

Interment will follow at Field of Honor, Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.

Memorial donations can be made to Lifepath Hospice, Melech Hospice House, 11152 North 52nd Street, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617 or a charity of your choice. The family would like to express our sincere appreciation for the loving support and care Hospice provided throughout Mary’s illness.

Mary (GMom) lived by the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you would like to be treated. In her memory, perform a random act of kindness, make someone laugh, send a card, or give a hug to a friend.

“Life is but a stopping place, a pause in what’s to be, a resting place along the road, to sweet eternity. We all have different journeys, different paths along the way. We all were meant to learn some things, but never meant to stay. Our destination is a place, far greater than we know. For some the journeys quicker, for some the journeys slow. And when the journey finally ends, we’ll claim a great reward. And find an everlasting peace, together with the Lord."