Louis O. Ball,

DR. LOUIS O. BALL, JR., age 83, of Jefferson City, TN passed away at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 28, 2013 at Physicians Regional Medical Center. Louis Ball was born into the home of a minister, Louis O. Ball, Sr. He grew up listening to his Pastor-Father preach countless sermons and assisting in revival services as the pianist for spirited gospel hymn-singing. Educated at the University of Tennessee, he was strongly influenced by composer David Van Vactor and pianist Alfred Schmied in his musical formation. He completed the Bachelor?s and Master?s degree at UT Knoxville, and went on to earn a Master?s and Doctorate degrees at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. After teaching choral music for two years at Fulton High school and serving two years in the US Army, he was appointed in 1961 as Associate Professor at Carson-Newman College, where he served for thirty-five years, more than thirty-three years as an administrator of the arts. Ball was widely used as a consultant in curriculum and program quality to more than forty colleges. In the field of church music, he specialized in introductory curriculum materials in both compositions and also articles dealing with church music administration. He remained strongly pro-good quality music in the face of a general decline in church musical taste throughout the world. Two of his books on hymn playing have been translated into Mandarin and Korean languages. Publically, he conducted the Tennessee Baptist Chorale for fourteen years, a chorus of professional musicians who serve as Ministers of Music in Tennessee. He also conducted more than 18 performances of major oratorios at Carson-Newman College. A pioneer on choral concerts on television, he produced programs on WSM in Nashville as well as WATE in Knoxville. Ball is best known as a member of the organ-piano duo and in performances with his late wife, Mary Charlotte Ball. With her, he arranged six volumes of classics which are suitable to play for church services. He kept himself in close contact with personal performances, presenting an annual recital as soloist or ensemble member. Believing in serving at home first, Ball was interim Minister of Music at eleven churches in the Knoxville-East Tennessee area. He counts as a high honor the establishment of the Louis and Mary Charlotte Ball Institute for Church Music, endowed by a legacy from James and Dorothy Penn at Carson-Newman College. In place of flowers, he requests that any gifts be directed to this fund at Carson-Newman University, 1646 Russell Avenue, Jefferson City, TN 37760. Louis was preceded in death by Mary Charlotte Swann Ball, his wife of fifty-nine years; as well as his parents, Louis Ball Sr. and Bonnie Sharp Ball. He leaves two sons, David Louis Ball and Mark Swann Ball; and two grandsons, Gurudev Jeremiah and Rama Elijah Ball. Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, March 4, 2013 at First Baptist Church in Jefferson City with Dr. Gene Wilder and Dr. Paul Brewer officiating. Family will receive friends from 12 noon until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service at the church. Family and friends will gather at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at Woodlawn Cemetery in Knoxville for a 10:00 a.m. graveside interment service. Pallbearers will be Roy Everett Carter, Clark Measels, Leon Shoemaker, George Langley, Gurudev Jeremiah Ball, Angela Holder and Kim Bowen. ARRANGEMENTS BY FARRAR FUNERAL HOME IN JEFFERSON CITY, TN 865-475-3892