Bela F. Ballo

Private family services will be held for Bela F. Ballo, M.D., 84, of Waite Hill.

Dr. Ballo passed away Saturday, October 7, 2023.

Born December 30, 1938, in Budapest, Hungary he emigrated with his parents to the United States when he was 12 years old. Their trip to the United States was sponsored by the Glenshaw Presbyterian Church in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania where they remained for six months until his father found a medical internship in Spencer, West Virginia. After one year, they moved to Cleveland because of the strong Hungarian community.

Bela graduated from Benedictine High School and attended Baldwin-Wallace College where he studied biology. He completed his medical degree at SUNY Buffalo and then a residency at Detroit Receiving Hospital. After completing a fellowship at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio he joined Drs. Hill & Thomas as a diagnostic radiologist working mostly at Lake County Hospitals and Deaconess. He will always be remembered, particularly for his love of opera, racing sailboats competitively out of Mentor Harbor Yacht Club, and drinking Burgundy wine with his friends.

He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Patricia (Ragon) Ballo; children, Bela R. Ballo, M.D. (Frances Ballo, M.D.), Michael S. Ballo, M.D. (Joanna Pi-Sunyer), Matthew T. Ballo, M.D. (Lisa Ballo), and Nicole L.F. Ehrbar, J.D. (Gene Ehrbar); 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bela and Lujza (Kertesz) Ballo.

All are invited to visit with the family from 3 to 5 PM on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the family home in Waite Hill, OH.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to the Salvation Army, 69 Pearl Street, Painesville, OH 44077 https://give.salvationarmyusa.org/give/164006/#!/donation/checkout?c_src=USN_WaysToGive or the Hungarian Heritage Museum, 1301 East Ninth Street, Cleveland, OH 44114. https://clevelandhungarianmuseum.org/donations/monetary-donations-general-fund/

Arrangements entrusted to Davis-Babcock Funeral Home, Willoughby.