Birth date: Dec 25, 1938 Death date: Jul 30, 2021
Michael J. Ball, 82, of Syracuse, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 30, 2021 at Loretto Nursing and Rehab surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Watertown to the late Margaret Michaels and served in the US Navy in Ja Read Obituary
My name is Jason Payne and I would like to share & express my gratitude to Aunt Gloria & Uncle Mike. I will never forget the love & affection that was given to us by Uncle Mike & Aunt Gloria when my mom was a young mother going thru a terrible divorce. My mom had close to nothing at one time in our lives and had to overcome many adversities that would not have been possible without Uncle Mike's & Aunt Gloria's love and patience. Uncle Mike & Aunt Gloria opened up their home to us when we had absolutely nothing and my mom would have never succeeded in gaining custody of myself or my brother or sister. During this time Uncle Mike would take me aside to talk to me about the responsibility of being an older brother, a good son and how much my mom loved us. We were about to leave NY for a place I had never heard of before and I was scared. He knew this and would do his best to assure me that everything was going to be alright at our new home. Sometimes after we talked we would watch Looney Tunes and he would tell me stories of serving in the Navy. He was a father figure to me when I did not have one and later inspired me to serve in the Navy just as he did so that I could have a brighter future and be there for my family just as he was. The last time we saw each other I had just returned home from Boot Camp and Uncle Mike was so elated to see me in uniform. To see how happy he was made me feel that I finally did something good with my life. Then we shared sea stories and showed each other how we were taught to fold our uniforms. I will never forget any of these memories nor the love & affection that was given to us by him & Aunt Gloria. My mom and I will always be eternally grateful for this. We will never forget you or your love. Rest in peace Uncle Mike, we love you.
