Kelly L Ball

Kelly Lynn Ball passed away on February 9th, 2019, at Evergreen Hospice in Kirkland, Wa., after a long, hard-fought battle against metastatic breast cancer.

She was born on April 3, 1957, in Seattle, Washington, to James and Colleen (O’Brien) Hoien (both of whom she is survived by). Kelly was the oldest of four children. She was preceded in death by her sister, Robin Hoien, and is survived by brother Scott (Sophana) Connelly, and sister Pandi (Troy) Bartley.

Kelly graduated from Lincoln High School in Seattle, Washington, in 1975.  During her teenage years she volunteered as a candy striper at Ballard Hospital, she delivered newspapers in her neighborhood, worked at McDonald’s and, after graduation, worked at a nursing home in Seattle, as a caregiver – a job she loved very much and always remembered fondly.  She then began a career in banking, at Rainier Bank, in Seattle, before starting a family and her ultimate career as a wife, mother, homemaker, and DIY craft genius extraordinaire!!

On July 9th, 1977, just weeks after meeting Kenneth Ball, Kelly married him… her soulmate … and the two remain deeply in love.  She passed away on their 41 year, 7 month anniversary, with him at her side

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Together, they have 3 children and 4 grandchildren: daughter Shauna (Chris) Plante, and their children Clara and Diego, daughter Jeana Ball, and her daughter Gabriella, and son Brian (Jennifer) Ball, and their son Adrian.

Kelly and Kenny were amazing, loving foster parents to many children from a variety of backgrounds and with various learning, mental, and mobility disabilities.  And, as their fostering years came to an end, Kelly returned to school to become a Doula to continue her love of caregiving; she assisted many women in delivering their babies in safe, warm, and loving environments.  She even became an Ordained Minister and has officiated the weddings that precede those births!

Also on her “caregiving resume” is much time spent volunteering for the Red Cross, leading the youth volunteer group, and deploying to disasters to help those in need, including a 3-week mission to New York after 9/11… work that always remained very dear to her heart.  She even led an adoption support group through her church, creating wonderful welcome home experiences for families who had just adopted a child.

Kelly had the talent, vision, and drive to start businesses before they became popular or known to the rest of the world.  She was Martha before Martha was known – she could plan a party, decorate a cake, arrange flowers, and create anything the mind could imagine (although not without a few arguments with a sewing machine or two).

She opened three businesses with constant encouragement, support, and assistance from Kenny.  They opened a gift store in Kennewick, Wa., (Something Special) that included a year-round Christmas room, themed gift baskets, and rental booths for crafters to sell their creations to the public.  When they moved to the Pacific Northwest, they opened a gift shop (My Secret Garden) in a rustic cabin next to a resort on the Hood Canal.  Patrons could do a little shopping, grab an ice-cream cone, and have an artist draw their portrait while they sat on the porch.  She even started an online jewelry business in the earlier online days (Grandma’s Attic), and did so well, she couldn’t keep up with the demand.

Kelly was a soft spoken, patient, kind, loving, giving, and honest person with innumerable talents that she was always eager to share.  Her presence is greatly missed and her absence leaves immense sorrow in the hearts of those who knew her.

A celebration of life service will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at 1:00 P.M. at Burns Mortuary Chapel, Hermiston, Oregon.

A family burial will be at Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Irrigon, Oregon.

Please share online condolences with Kelly’s family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com

Burns Mortuary of Hermiston, Oregon is in care of arrangements.

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