Mark Balson

Mark Balson, of Hilliard, OH, passed away of a heart condition on the morning of Saturday, March 2^nd, 2019, at the age of sixty-nine. Mark was born in Hampton, Virginia on September 22^nd, 1949, to Bill and Shirley (Clements) Balson at a small hospital directly in front of where the Monitor and Merrimack fought their famous battle on Hampton Roads.  Between his first and second grade the family moved to Scioto Village School for Girls in a small town in Ohio where his father was the assistant school superintendent.  Mark graduated from Upper Arlington High School in 1967 and joined the United States Marine Corps, serving in the 3^rd Tank Battalion 3^rd Marine Division from August 1969 to August of 1970.  Upon returning from Vietnam and Okinawa, he married his sweetheart, Jan Wolfe.  He then enrolled at Ohio State University earning his Bachelor of Science in Social Work before going on to earn Master's degrees in Social Work and Public Administration in 1978.  Mark had a long and fulfilling career in Social Work, where he served as the Executive Director of a branch of The United Way in Delaware, Ohio, and as Executive Director of the Community Resources Center in Clintonville, Ohio.  In his later years, Mark worked at various free-lance projects in the field – his favorite being in helping displaced refugees from Hurricane Katrina. Mark is survived by his wife Jan, his two children Josh (Emily) and Sara Ramirez, two grandsons, and his sister Stephanie (Tim) Stover and brother Stacy, as well as sisters- and brothers-in-law, and several nieces and nephews. His parents and his sister Janet (Bruce) Andrews preceded him in death. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 3:00, with visitation from 1-3 at Tidd Family Funeral Home at 5265 Norwich Street, Hilliard, OH 43026.  Reception afterwards. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center, 3222 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43202-1002.