John Anthony Ballard passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 12, 2026 – Divine Mercy Sunday – at the age of 83 after a three-year battle with cancer.

John was born on June 30, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas, the second of four children of Rex and Sophie (Iltis) Ballard. John attended St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School, where he was taught by the sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One of his teachers, Mother Mary John, would enjoy telling John's children that John loved to bring creatures into the classroom, especially horned toads, and didn't like to be told to put them back outside where they belonged. John attended Central Catholic High School and upon graduating in 1960, he joined the United States Navy, serving on active duty for three years, followed by three years in the Naval Reserve, completing his service on June 6, 1966.

On June 5, 1965, John married Helen (Merta) Ballard and built a life rooted in faith and family. They welcomed three children together: Stephen, Diann, and Carol. John's faith was important to him, so he and his family became members of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church parish, where over the years, he served on Pastoral Council and as an Extraordinary Minister of Communion and where he and Helen enrolled their children in grade school. Later, the family moved to a different home and became parishioners at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, where John and Helen could regularly be found at the 5:30 p.m. Saturday vigil Mass.

John worked at Sears for 35 years, earning the respect of coworkers and customers alike through his reliability, work ethic, and affable personality. He also had a lifelong love of flying. John earned his pilot's license and taught flight lessons to aspiring pilots for many years. After retiring from Sears, he continued pursuing the skies by working part-time transporting bank papers to and from the Texas Rio Grande Valley. One of his favorite highlights from that time was meeting comedian Jeff Foxworthy at an airport along his route. John kept a photo of the two of them in his wallet and delighted in sharing the story—and the picture—with anyone who would listen. Even later in life, his fascination with aviation never faded. In his free time, John would sit at his computer and watch air traffic control tower views of planes taking off and landing—especially the tower at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

John is survived by his loving wife, Helen Ballard; his children, Stephen (Trisha) Ballard, Diann (Chuck) Montemayor, and Carol Ballard; his grandchildren, Kaelin and Kara Ballard (Eric Luna); Robin (Alec) Harris and Drew Montemayor (Sammi Teel); sister Cathy Spangler; brother David (Bobbi) Ballard; sister-in-law Priscilla Ballard; brothers-in-law Richard (Shirley Wittneben) Merta; Paul (Patsy) Merta; Alvin (Joann) Merta; sister-in-law Dorothy (John) Gehrke; and numerous nieces and nephews.

John was preceded in death by his parents Sophie and Rex Ballard; brother Tommy Ballard; mother-in-law and father-in-law Margaret and Jim Merta; brother-in-law Ellis Spangler; and niece Mary Heather Ballard.

The family is grateful for the staff of University Hospital and for Michelle and Amanda of OpusCare Hospice who, while only of service to the family for a brief time, were immensely gracious, kind, and caring.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, the American Cancer Society, or another charity of your choosing in John's name.

Funeral Services

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Visitation  6:00 p.m.

Rosary 7:00 p.m.

The Angelus Funeral Home

1119 N St. Mary's Street

San Antonio, Texas 78215

Funeral Mass

Friday, April 17, 2026

11:30 a.m.

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church

600 Oblate Drive

San Antonio, Texas 78216

Graveside Service and Entombment to Follow:

Holy Cross Cemetery

17501 Nacogdoches Rd

San Antonio, Texas 78266