This obituary was originally published on Rogers & Breece Funeral Home.
Walter Douglas “Doug” Ball, of Fayetteville, NC, passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2026 at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Over the past seven years his health suffered due to cancer. He was 69 years old.
Doug was born on February 19, 1956 in Columbus Ohio. He was the 4th of 6 children born to Walter Edward Ball and Evelyn M. Smith. He graduated high school before joining the Army in 1974. He met Jodi A. Knight in December of 1977 at Fort Belvoir, VA. They were married in Rapid City, SD on April 19, 1978.
Doug was in the Army for over 21 years and served as a Terrain Analyst and Army Engineer. He was stationed in Germany, Korea, and at Fort Bragg, NC. After he retired in 1995, he became the manager of the Topographic Readiness Facility on Fort Bragg until he retired in February of 2016.
After retirement, he enjoyed staying at home, teasing his wife, children, and grandchildren, playing computer games with his best friend Larry, watching SciFi television shows and supporting Ohio State Football (Go Bucks!). He loved history and was an avid genealogist, often cornering a family member at the computer, discussing ancestors or showing them pictures and records he discovered online. He enjoyed wood working, making furniture and other items for family and friends. He was happiest when surrounded by his wife, children, and grandchildren, all making noise and bringing random dogs home to add to the chaos.
He was preceded in death by his father Walter E. Ball (Columbus, OH), his mother Evelyn M. Sullivan (Bradenton, FL), and his sister Diane (Pekin, IL). He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Jodi A. Ball of Fayetteville, NC, three children, Melissa of Hubert, NC, Katie (Zach) of Odenton, MD, and Douglas of Fayetteville, NC; his 5 grandchildren Cora, Victoria, Alex, Dean, and Oliver; his sisters Delilah (Columbus, OH), brother Edward (FL) and Molly (Bradenton, FL); and multiple nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Service will be held February 18, 2026 at Rogers and Breece Funeral Home in Fayetteville, NC with visitation beginning at 11:00 and services beginning at 12:00.
The Funeral will be held at a later date and will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made to the American Cancer Society as he and Jodi were avid supporters of this research and organization. The family requests that those able to attend do not wear black as this is a celebration of his life rather than a mourning of his death. A reception is being held after the service at Arran Lake Baptist Church at 1130 Bingham Dr. Fayetteville, NC.
For those unable to attend the service will be live streamed.