Obituary for Diane Ball
Diane Ball never met a stranger! There was always room at the table and room in her heart for one more.
She was born Linda Diane Cooper on April 29, 1941, in Memphis Tennessee. Her parents were Cecil Arley Eugene Cooper and Minnie Lillian Cobb Cooper. She moved with her family to San Francisco as a girl and grew up there. When she was 18, her sister's husband introduced her to his shipmate "Jay" on the USS Midway. Several months later, Diane and Jay eloped from the San Francisco area to Reno, Nevada where they were married on July 25, 1959. This year (2023) would have marked their 64th wedding anniversary.
Diane loved music and dancing, and was born with what the family calls "the MGM gene". Had a song for every occasion, and if she couldn't find the right song she would write one that did fit. As a teenager she sang and danced on a television variety show, and performed in a number of high school and community productions. Diane loved attending the San Francisco Opera to watch her father perform. She wrote music for several stage musicals including "It Happened One Christmas" and "Saint Francis of Assisi."
In 1973 Diane and Jay moved their family to a Christian Conference Center called Springs of Living Water in Northern California. Her passion to reach out and minister to young people led her to start Kids Kamp and Teen Camp programs there that are still operating today. Those camps have impacted literally thousands of young people for Christ. Her vision was that people would know Jesus and make him known. She founded and directed a traveling teen musical group based at the Springs called "Children of Promise" (COP). COP integrated Diane's authentic relationship with Jesus, her desire to share him with young people, and her life-long love of music. It was while they were at the Springs that Diane wrote the song "In His Time". This song has been translated into hundreds of languages, impacting millions of people while being sung around the world. After COP was disbanded, the family formed a band called "New Rain" that toured for several years, which Diane directed. In 1986, Diane and Jay and their youngest son Jason moved to Kauai, Hawaii where they founded and ran a shelter for the homeless (in partnership with the 700 Club). During this time, she also served as the youth pastor of the Koloa Church. In 1995 they relocated to the Seattle area where Diane served as Development Director at Community Health Center of Snohomish County. She was always the best at raising money because she was a passionate believer in whatever it was she was asking people to support. In 2013 Diane and Jay moved back to far Northern California, then in 2020 relocated to Alma, Texas so they could interact with their younger grandchildren in a meaningful way. The constant thread in her life was caring about and investing in others, especially children and teens. She went to rest in the arms of Jesus on February 12, 2023, surrounded by family, listening to music, and blanketed with love sent from literally all over the world.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents and her older sister Gaile. She will be greatly missed by her surviving family, including her husband of almost 64 years, Herbert Jay Ball, her two younger brothers (Tim Cooper & Steve Cooper), her five children: Nan (Jim) Langstaff and their three sons, Jay (Deanna) Ball and their three daughters, Sean (Allyson) Ball and their four sons, Michael (Cassey) Ball, and their two daughters and five sons, and Jason Ball and his daughter. She also claimed three nieces as her own and played a significant role in their upbringing: Robin (Charlie) Pelton, Terri (Mark) Hill, and Wendy (Markus) Lueder. She loved her eighteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren fiercely and whole-heartedly. Her loving and unselfish impact was felt by so many and will be missed by all who knew her.
A local remembrance service will be held on Saturday, February 18, at 11 :ODAM at the Cowboy Church of Ennis. On April 29th, a memorial service will be held at the Springs of Living Water in Chico, California. Instead of flowers or donations, the family asks that you honor Diane's memory by reaching out and showing kindness to someone who can do nothing for you in return.
She was born Linda Diane Cooper on April 29, 1941, in Memphis Tennessee. Her parents were Cecil Arley Eugene Cooper and Minnie Lillian Cobb Cooper. She moved with her family to San Francisco as a girl and grew up there. When she was 18, her sister's husband introduced her to his shipmate "Jay" on the USS Midway. Several months later, Diane and Jay eloped from the San Francisco area to Reno, Nevada where they were married on July 25, 1959. This year (2023) would have marked their 64th wedding anniversary.
Diane loved music and dancing, and was born with what the family calls "the MGM gene". Had a song for every occasion, and if she couldn't find the right song she would write one that did fit. As a teenager she sang and danced on a television variety show, and performed in a number of high school and community productions. Diane loved attending the San Francisco Opera to watch her father perform. She wrote music for several stage musicals including "It Happened One Christmas" and "Saint Francis of Assisi."
In 1973 Diane and Jay moved their family to a Christian Conference Center called Springs of Living Water in Northern California. Her passion to reach out and minister to young people led her to start Kids Kamp and Teen Camp programs there that are still operating today. Those camps have impacted literally thousands of young people for Christ. Her vision was that people would know Jesus and make him known. She founded and directed a traveling teen musical group based at the Springs called "Children of Promise" (COP). COP integrated Diane's authentic relationship with Jesus, her desire to share him with young people, and her life-long love of music. It was while they were at the Springs that Diane wrote the song "In His Time". This song has been translated into hundreds of languages, impacting millions of people while being sung around the world. After COP was disbanded, the family formed a band called "New Rain" that toured for several years, which Diane directed. In 1986, Diane and Jay and their youngest son Jason moved to Kauai, Hawaii where they founded and ran a shelter for the homeless (in partnership with the 700 Club). During this time, she also served as the youth pastor of the Koloa Church. In 1995 they relocated to the Seattle area where Diane served as Development Director at Community Health Center of Snohomish County. She was always the best at raising money because she was a passionate believer in whatever it was she was asking people to support. In 2013 Diane and Jay moved back to far Northern California, then in 2020 relocated to Alma, Texas so they could interact with their younger grandchildren in a meaningful way. The constant thread in her life was caring about and investing in others, especially children and teens. She went to rest in the arms of Jesus on February 12, 2023, surrounded by family, listening to music, and blanketed with love sent from literally all over the world.
Diane was preceded in death by her parents and her older sister Gaile. She will be greatly missed by her surviving family, including her husband of almost 64 years, Herbert Jay Ball, her two younger brothers (Tim Cooper & Steve Cooper), her five children: Nan (Jim) Langstaff and their three sons, Jay (Deanna) Ball and their three daughters, Sean (Allyson) Ball and their four sons, Michael (Cassey) Ball, and their two daughters and five sons, and Jason Ball and his daughter. She also claimed three nieces as her own and played a significant role in their upbringing: Robin (Charlie) Pelton, Terri (Mark) Hill, and Wendy (Markus) Lueder. She loved her eighteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren fiercely and whole-heartedly. Her loving and unselfish impact was felt by so many and will be missed by all who knew her.
A local remembrance service will be held on Saturday, February 18, at 11 :ODAM at the Cowboy Church of Ennis. On April 29th, a memorial service will be held at the Springs of Living Water in Chico, California. Instead of flowers or donations, the family asks that you honor Diane's memory by reaching out and showing kindness to someone who can do nothing for you in return.