Douglas Richard "Rick" Ballard

Douglas Richard (“Rick”) Ballard, 74, of Jackson, Georgia, passed away on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia after a brief illness.  He is the son of the late Douglas Roland Ballard and Dorothy Pauline Whittington Ballard of Barnesville, Georgia.  Rick was born on January 12, 1947 in the Aldora Community of Lamar County, Georgia.  He grew up in Barnesville, Georgia and was a 1965 high school graduate of Gordon Military College in Barnesville.  He attended LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia and then graduated in 1967 from the John A. Gupton School of Mortuary Science in Nashville, Tennessee.  He has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for 54 years, and is a member of both the Georgia Funeral Directors Association and National Funeral Directors Association.  He was mentored in the funeral business by Guy, Ben, Warren, Matt and Harry Haisten; but it was Guy Haisten who truly taught Rick the funeral business and how to provide dignified and empathetic service to the community.  Along with providing funeral services to the community, Rick also ran an ambulance service in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Rick purchased the Jackson, Barnesville and Griffin locations of Haisten Funeral Home in 1981, and still owns the Jackson, Georgia location.  He was elected Coroner of Butts County, Georgia in 1981, and served in that office until 1996.  Rick loved his community, and was Chairman of the Butts County Board of Education and served on the Butts County Housing Authority.  He was a past President of Kiwanis International and a member of the Jaycees and Rotary Club.  Rick was a deacon of the First Baptist Church of Jackson, a member of the St. John’s Masonic Lodge #45 in Jackson, Georgia, and the Yaarab Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (a/k/a the “Shriners”) in Atlanta, Georgia.  Rick was an animal lover and he and his family mourned the death of his beloved thirteen-year-old golden retriever Sally in 2021.  Rick also loved history and antiques, and he collected old books; among those being all of the works of Joel Chandler Harris (i.e. “Uncle Remus”) in first edition, many of which were also signed by the author.  He also enjoyed sharing family history and a good natured joke. 

Douglas Richard (“Rick”) Ballard is survived by his Wife, Lynda Ruth Bartlett Ballard, and his Son, Douglas Richard Ballard, Jr., both of Jackson, Georgia. 

The family wishes to thank Dr. Jorge Moreno and the nurses and staff of Sylvan Grove Hospital, including the rehab department, for their sympathetic care during his illness. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Butts Mutts, P.O. Box 474, Jackson, Georgia 30233, and (404) 791-6315. 

Funeral services for Douglas Richard (“Rick”) Ballard will be Sunday May 2, 2021 at 2:00 PM in the Chapel of Haisten Funeral Home, Dr. Ed Hoard will officiate, and burial will follow in the Jackson City Cemetery. The Family will receive friends Saturday evening from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Funeral Home.

Those that desire to express their condolences online may visit www.haistenfuneral.com

Haisten Funeral Home of Jackson is serving the Ballard Family.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Douglas Richard "Rick" Ballard, please visit our floral store.