These high school sweet hearts are nothing short of in love. Bill and Patty Ball started dating at the young age of 16, at a summer mixer where Patty’s best friend introduced her to Bill. From there, according to Patty, “things just kept going on and on.” While Bill and Patty were both born in Missouri, they had very different childhoods and schooling experiences and it wasn’t until they moved to Tulsa for university, that their schedules finally synced. Bill attended the University of Tulsa, studied management and had a knack for being a great leader and organizer. Though Patty enjoyed speaking and speech class the most, she pursued business and administrative work during her college years and after, eventually worked in insurance for a short period of time. They were wed Bill’s senior year of university and moved to Ardmore Air force base soon after to begin Bill’s two-year journey with the Air force. They knew they wanted to move back to Tulsa so after his time in the service, the Ball’s relocated back to Tulsa. Patty and Bill had two daughters during this time, so Patty stayed at home with the girls while Bill worked as a manager for various companies and industries. Once settled back into Tulsa, the Ball’s immediately got plugged back into First Presbyterian Church downtown. They have been in that congregation ever since, and Bill is still connected and involved with the same group of men he first started going to church with in college. Now that says something! Their two daughters are grown now and work full-time in Tulsa, so they enjoy having family close, though the majority of their relatives are still in Missouri. Some of Bill and Patty’s favorite pastimes are golf; Bill has been an avid golfer from a young age and played on his private high school’s golf team. Patty always enjoyed board games as a kid, but ever since her and Bill have been together, golf has been the go-to hobby. To this day, the Ball’s greatly enjoy bridge; a team game with much strategy, knowing your partner and how he/she works is a must. No wonder Patty and Bill have played in numerous bridge groups and still participate on a weekly basis here at UV! Besides being active and involved in the community, Bill and Patty have had quite the traveling experiences. They have gone on multiple cruises going to exotic places such as Aruba, Hawaii and Europe and are making plans to go on an Alaskan cruise next. As time went on, Bill and Patty got to a point they were ready to try out a retirement community, with their two daughters on their own and craving a more intimate setting. They toured UV and decided the following weekend to sell their house and move right in. For the past two years, the Ball’s have been “very pleased” with University Village and their experience. When asked why UV, they both said “it’s convenient, there’s great food, we get housecleaning once a week.” Plus, “there are so many advantages to living here,” Patty said. For Patty and Bill, staying active and sharing life with people is one of the most important things they can do while living at UV. They try to attend each activity offered, they walk almost everywhere they go to stay healthy and active, read the morning news and stay informed on the latest technology, and still make time for couple’s date night once a month with other cottage residents. Their love for others, the Lord and each other is evident and they say “sharing life, being with people, staying informed with news, doing activities they love,” is how they’ve made their lives full and abundant. If you haven’t met Bill and Patty, you need to! You can find them at bridge group, dancing or on a morning walk to the post office.
Posted in Blog
