Edward Bala

As a grand meteor shower began to roll across the Southern sky on May 23 2014, Edward Pierre Bala departed this world. Ed was born July 19, 1933 in Idaho Falls, Idaho to Pierre Sans Bala and Elsie Wilson Bala. Growing up during the depression enforced his parent's lessons and taught him the valuable life skills of hard work and hard play. These early years also instilled in him a fierce sense of independence and self-reliance. He attended Idaho Falls High School and just short of graduation in 1950, joined the US Navy as the Korean conflict broke out. He served on the destroyer USS Ullman and the hospital ship USS Consolation. While in the Navy, he received his GED in 1954. One experience that left a lifelong impression on Dad was going ashore with the ship’s Chaplain at Inchon. It taught him a deep sense of service to others. Among other honors, he received a Purple Heart commendation while serving his county. During high school he met Vivienne Leavitt, and the two kept up a correspondence while he was in Korea. Ed traveled much of the world before returning home to marry Vivienne on July 10, 1952. Ed was 19 and Vivienne was just shy of her 17th birthday with all of the experience a childhood in Afton Wyoming could provide. They enjoyed being posted together in San Diego, CA and Toms River NJ, finally settling back in the Idaho Falls area together in 1956. He worked as a store manager at Sherwin Williams and later as the office manager at Bachman Electric, where he helped install the first power and phone lines into Idaho communities. In 1959, their first son Ed was born followed two years later by Greg. In every sense the boys were their favorite life's work and their true passion. They insisted on a college education for their sons, and also instilled the unyielding requirement to do your best no matter what. In April of 1966 Dad went to work at Argonne National Laboratory. He retired 29 years later in April of 1995. During his tenure at Argonne, he worked with the plant services group, and finished his career as a Systems Analyst. On March 28, 1999, Vivienne passed away unexpectedly, leaving Dad a widower. He never remarried. He was generous, humorous, and often seemed "larger than life". He loved spending time with people (particularly family) and doing things for them. He had a highly developed sense of duty learned from his parents and deployment aboard the USS Consolation. He ended every phone conversation with "I love you more". He was fiercely independent, and like his contemporary Frank Sinatra, he always "did it his way". He passed away peacefully and with grace and dignity on May 23, 2014 surrounded by his immediate family. Ed is survived by his sons Ed (Janet) Bala of Pocatello and Greg (Marsha) Bala of Idaho Falls; grandson Thomas (Nataliya) Bala of Fort Drum, New York, great granddaughter Aleksandra Bala, and granddaughter Jennifer Bala (Fiancé Chris Forshee) of Pocatello. He's also survived by his nephew Jack Clark of Salt Lake City Utah and cousin Joacquin Dollenmayer of Los Angeles California. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, 2014, at Rose Hill Cemetery with military rites by the Bonneville County Veterans Team and Idaho Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org.