Roger Ball

On June 21st, Roger James Ball passed away peacefully at the Beehive House in South Jordan, Utah at 5:14 pm.

Roger was born in Redruth, Cornwall, England on February 18th 1947 to Earnest James Ball and Evelyn Elsie Knight. Soon after his birth the family moved to St. Austell, Cornwall, where he lived until he went to university in Manchester.

Roger went to Primary (elementary) School in St. Austell. He passed the Eleven Plus Exam and moved on to the Grammar School at age 11. At 18 Roger moved North to Manchester to study Electrical Engineering at Manchester University, where he made life-long friends. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Just before his move to Manchester, Roger was taught by missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He gave them quite a grilling before joining the church.

It was at the Manchester South Ward that Roger met, dated, and married Lynn Roberts. After a civil wedding ceremony and luncheon on December 19th, 1970, the couple made their way to the London Temple to be sealed.

Roger and Lynn then moved to London as both had jobs there. Roger worked for British Telecom (BT) and Lynn was a public school teacher. While there, Roger attended the London School of Economics to obtain a Diploma in Management Studies and the couple welcomed their first two sons, Matthew James and Nathan Richard.

Roger and Lynn enjoyed being in the London North Ward where they each served in several callings. Roger served in the Bishopric and then as Bishop.

London, however, was not where the Ball family wanted to settle, so in 1976 Roger obtained a BT transfer to Chester in the North-West of England. It was a good move for the family into the picturesque village of Tarvin, near the Welsh border. Church callings followed in the Chester Ward, where Roger was called to serve as the Bishop again, and in the Stake Presidency.

The Ball family welcomed three more children while living in Chester: Caroline Elizabeth, Jared Thomas, and Kimberley Lynn.

While reading the local news paper in the early 1990's, Roger saw a headline that prompted a major move for the family. The headline read: “America Now Permits Dual Nationality.” Lynn's father, William (Bill) Roberts, and her only sibling, Ann, were already living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bill applied for citizenship, and by January 1993 the Ball family joined them in Salt Lake!

Roger commuted to England for a while to tie up some businesses and then began a job search in Salt Lake. He was appointed by Governor Michael Leavitt to be the Executive Director of the Utah Committee of Consumer Services, a job he pursued with enthusiasm...and a thick skin!

Things were good in Utah for the family – they thrived. The boys served missions, and each child found their special someone. Along came grandchildren, and grandpa Roger spent many hours at the aviary and in local parks with grand kids in tow!

Roger's health began to decline more than a year ago, and it became clear that dementia was part of it. He also suffered some dreadful falls, but weathered these challenges well. He has been a great husband, father, grandpa, and friend.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Lynn, four of five children, Matthew (Shauna), Nathan (Katie), Jared (Jill), and Kimberley (Todd), and 16 grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Evelyn, daughter Caroline (Coy), and grandson Carter.

Funeral service for Roger will be held on Monday, June 30, 2025 beginning at 11 AM with a viewing from 10 - 10:45 AM. An additional viewing will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2025 from 6 - 8 PM. All viewings and funeral service will be held at Jenkins-Soffe South Valley, 1007 W. South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah 84095. Interment at South Jordan City Cemetery.