Vonda Lee Ball

Vonda Ball was born on October 5, 1947, in Bowling Green, Kentucky to parents Lydia and Cedric Hatcher. She passed away on November 4, 2022.

Vonda lived on a farm near Morgantown in Butler County, Kentucky until she was eight years old, and then moved with her family to Bowling Green, Kentucky. She attended elementary school there and graduated from Bowling Green High School in 1965. Next, she attended Western Kentucky University where she met, and in 1967 married, Don Ball, who was her husband for 55 years.

She moved to Auburn, Alabama with her husband in 1968, but when he entered the United States Army late in 1968, she returned to Bowling Green to complete her degree in Home Economics Education, graduating with a B.S. in 1970.  She then moved to Worms, Germany to be with her husband, and worked as a War Plans Secretary for the U.S. Army until 1971. They returned to Auburn, Alabama where her husband completed graduate work and later accepted a position on the faculty at Auburn University They resided in Auburn until 2022.

While her husband was in graduate school, Vonda took a position teaching Vocational Occupational Home Economics at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama. Seven years later she was hired by Auburn City Schools to teach Vocational Consumer Home Economics at Auburn Junior High School in Auburn, Alabama. She received a M.Ed. in Vocational Education from Auburn University in 1980. She retired from teaching in 1996 after 25 years as an educator, during which she was cheerleader sponsor for many years. Collectively, she had more than 4,000 students in the classes she taught.

Evidence of how much she was appreciated was that almost any time she went anywhere in Auburn she would meet some former student who wanted to hug her and speak with her. While she was on the AJHS faculty she was honored by having the annual dedicated to her accompanied by the comment, “She always had a smile for everyone.”

Vonda was active in Delta Kappa Gamma International, an honor society for women educators. She served in many roles in this organization, including as state President. At the time she was President, there were at least 120 chapters in Alabama and around 2,000 members, and she visited and spoke at many of those chapters. She later received the State Achievement Award, the highest honor that organization bestows. She also was a member of Omicron Nu Honor Society.

Vonda was active in the First Presbyterian Church (FPC) of Auburn, Alabama. She served as Elder and on numerous committees. She also was one of the organizers of the FPC “Thursday Night Dinners,” which has been a wonderful service to members as well as to persons to whom meals are delivered on Thursday nights, including shut-ins and people in battered persons facilities. Presbyterian Women honored her with an Honorary Life Membership.

Vonda was an excellent cook and enjoyed entertaining. She was devoted to her children, their spouses, and her grandchildren, and enjoyed interaction with her relatives as well as her husband’s family. She loved animals and enjoyed nature, including birds and other wild animals. She and her husband enjoyed traveling, both nationally and internationally.

Vonda is survived by her husband Don, Son Kelly (Stacy) and their children Patrick and Elise, as well as her Daughter Allison (A.J.) and their children Aubrie, Joseph, and Addison. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Auburn First Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Community Ministry) or Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. A memorial service will be held for her at Auburn First Presbyterian Church on November 14, 2022.  Her ashes will be placed in the Western Kentucky University columbarium.