Joseph Andrew Ball *63

Joe, who lived in Laramie, Wyo., died April 13, 2021, at a Loveland, Colo., hospital as the result of a fall. He was 88 years old. 

Joe was born in Greeley, Colo., in 1932, and lived in Pierce, Colo., where his father ran a filling station. Joe earned a bachelor of science degree in physics from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1954. 

In the Army he served a tour in Germany as a platoon leader. Fellow soldiers often sought out Joe to provide legal advice and representation because they knew he had read and understood the military Code of Conduct manual.

After leaving the Army, Joe earned a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton in 1963, studying under John Wheeler. Joe served on the faculties of Colorado College, Bryn Mawr, Montana State University, and the University of Venezuela. Fluent in Spanish, French, German, and Russian, he had a working knowledge of Chinese and Arabic. After leading research projects at Mission Research Corp., in Santa Barbara, Calif., he worked for the federal government as a senior scientist doing research and development.

Predeceased by his wife Sue, Joe is survived by his children, Kari, Shari, Marc, and Michael; and 10 grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.