November 14, 2008

Memorial service planned, scholarship created for Ohio graduate

A memorial service for a volunteer with the Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine’s ComCorps who died this week will be held Saturday in his hometown of Cuyahoga Falls. 

James David Ball, 23, died from injuries suffered from an accidental fall on Tuesday outside his residence on Marietta Street in Athens.

In lieu of other remembrances, Ball’s family requests that donations be made to the newly created James D. Ball Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship was established in Ball’s memory for use in paid internships for OHIO students in the Athens City/County Health Department, where he was currently working as a volunteer in ComCorps. Donations can be made c/o the Ohio University College of Health and Human Services, P.O. Box 869, Athens, Ohio, 45701. 

ComCorps is an AmeriCorps program funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, said Nancy Schell, director of the program for OU-COM’s Community Health Programs. It is often described as a domestic Peace Corps where members serve 1 to 2 years earning a small living stipend and upon completing the program, an education award. Established in 1999, ComCorps currently has 20 volunteers who serve in all Athens County schools and in 14 other community service and health agencies. ComCorps provides health education and access to healthcare to children and families in Athens County.   

A 2008 graduate of Ohio University with a degree in community health, Ball joined ComCorps in August for a one year commitment, working with the Athens City-County Health Department, Schell said. His duties at the health department included working in community and environmental health education.

“When I hired him, I was so excited,” Schell said. “He was a perfect fit for the position and it was such a great opportunity for him to advance his certifications and skills.” 

While serving at the health department, Ball was also working towards his certification in sanitation, Schell said. “It was a great stepping stone for him to a position he was perfectly suited for,” Schell said. “He was quiet and unassuming and a solid worker. He already is missed by his 19 peers, our program and the health department.”

Saturday’s memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. in the First United Methodist Church, 245 Portage Trail, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221. The Rev. Marvin Brown and the Rev. Susan Lausch will officiate. Friends may call at the church beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday.