William W. Ballard

William “Bill” Ballard died peacefully at his home in Billings, Montana, on May 17, 2024, after a long road through the ravages of Parkinson’s disease. Bill had been a resident of Billings since 1963.

“Billy Wayne” was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, on March 18, 1932, as the oldest of two boys. His parents, John Seldon Ballard and Hazel Marie Ballard, and grandparents were lifetime residents of Union County, John making a living as a welder in the local refinery and later both parents built and ran a country convenience store. At an early age, he embraced competing both academically and athletically. As his kids later discovered, Dad set a high bar for them as a straight A student with the lone exception of handwriting. Bill graduated as valedictorian from El Dorado High School in 1950. Newspaper articles and family friends reported that he excelled in football, basketball, track, baseball, and fast-pitch softball while in high school. His football achievements attracted attention from universities in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas, among others. Bill had hope to attend Rice University near his Houston cousins, but Rice didn’t have a geology program at the time. After OU Coach Bud Wilkinson came calling to recruit him as a quarterback, he decided to study geology and play football and baseball at Oklahoma University. The injury bug shortened his athletic career after twice separating his throwing shoulder.

With his academic success, Bill landed a summer internship in geology after his sophomore year with an El Dorado oil company. The job sent him to Poplar, Montana, which is a long way from Union Co., Arkansas. Bill embraced the challenge and quickly made a name for himself playing baseball and softball for the local team. More importantly, Bill met the catcher’s sister, Merilyn Jean Hansen, and they were married in Poplar the next summer, a union that would last 66 years up to her passing in 2020. Merilyn was truly the love of his life and supported his many pursuits ahead. She transferred from North Dakota State to OU to finish her degree and begin married life. Bill graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Geology, Phi Beta Kappa in 1955, delayed a year by his shoulder surgeries. Being the first in his Arkansas family to go to college, he continued on to get his Master of Science degree in Geology at OU in 1956. Afterwards, he landed a job as a geologist for Phillips Petroleum in their Billings office for a short time before education came calling again. Overlooking his Sooner football bias, Bill moved the family to Austin, Texas, to study under a University of Texas professor who literally wrote the book in carbonate geology. Field work for his dissertation took the family to Lewistown, Montana, during the summers. Bill graduated with his Doctor of Philosophy degree at UT in 1961.

After his leave of absence, Bill returned to Phillips Petroleum in the applied research group in Golden, Colorado, and then the corporate office in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Despite low oil prices, Bill and another Phillips geologist, Bill Cronoble, decided to leave their good paying jobs in 1963, raise investment from family and friends, and move to Billings to start their partnership, Balcron Oil Company. Balcron became the western division of Equitable Resources in 1987. After five years, Bill left Equitable to form Ballard and Associates and Ballard Energy Limited Partnership in 1992. BELP was re-structured into Ballard Petroleum in 1996, which continues as an operator in Wyoming and North Dakota.

Bill continued to love athletics throughout his life, including golf, coaching baseball, noon basketball at the YMCA and Rocky Mountain College, Sooner football, and fishing. However, he became more known for supporting education and medical facilities, along with serving on boards and civic groups, including Rocky Mountain College, Billings Clinic, The Downtown Rotary Club, Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, Montana Petroleum Association, and the Rocky Mountain Oil & Gas Association. His love of teaching led him to fill in as an earth science teacher to finish a semester at Rocky Mountain College that he extended as a part-time professor from 1966 to 1981, establishing a full geology major program by 1973. He managed to teach epic, three-week field courses in the Grand Canyon, the Big Bend of the Rio Grande, and in Venezuela, aided by his brother-in-law, Jim and Liz Hansen, who lived in Caracas at the time. Bill was proud to hire many graduates from that program at Balcron or his subsequent companies. A Rocky Mountain College certificate that awarded him an Honorary Doctorate cites his unflappable manner and quiet assurance in his many years of leadership as professor, board member, and board chair.

Bill was predeceased by parents and brother, Johnny Joe, and wife Merilyn. The surviving family includes his three kids, Linda Sue Larsen (Bob), David Ballard (Lynda), Jeffrey Ballard (Kristen); seven grandchildren, including Bryce Ballard (Carrie), Mark Ballard (Abby), Shelby Johnson (Charlie), Greg Waetzig (Shawna), Lindsey Robertson (John), Kyren Ballard, and Kennley Ballard; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Dad — Thanks for all of your love and support whether deserved or not. You have been the rock of the family in those years when we had to navigate life’s potholes.

We would like to thank the First Presbyterian Church, RiverStone Hospice, and all of his caregivers at A Village Home Care, especially Maggie, Jill, Alexis and Ann. He so appreciated the opportunity to live at home during your four-plus years of care. You all were unbelievably patient during those times that he directed you to drive him on “field trips” down remote gravel roads to see a little more geology.

A private celebration of life for friends and family will be scheduled for later in the summer.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to Rocky Mountain College, 1511 Poly Drive, Billings, MT 59102, or the Billings American Legion Baseball program, P.O. Box 22535, Billings, MT 59104.