This morning (Saturday) I attended a memorial service for Bob Ballard. Bob was a member of Hillcrest Church and once attended a class I taught. I knew him best from Hillcrest Toastmasters, which he often attended. Bob was never very interested in giving prepared speeches, but he liked listening to other people give speeches and he would often participate in Table Topics.
Bob was quite a character. He was licensed with the State Bar of Texas, but was no longer practicing law. He loved history and conducting interviews with famous people. He also did some stand-up comedy. One of his favorite routines was his impersonation of Richard Nixon. When he was attending my class, I commented on the similarity of his name to the Robert Ballard who found the Titanic. Bob was quick to point out that they even shared the same middle initial, if not the same middle name. He clearly took great pleasure in sharing his name with a famous adventurer.
At this morning's service, a number of Bob's relatives told their favorite stories of him. Without a doubt, he was known as a colorful figure, but also a committed Christian and a reliable friend. Hearing their reminiscences provided a lot more perspective on someone I was only able to know for a short time near the end of a unique life.
We should probably be more grateful for those unique people who add so much variety to the world around us.
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