ROBERTA “ROBIN” RICE BALLARD (FORMERLY RUNYAN)
St. Johns – Roberta “Robin” Ballard (Rice), (formerly Runyan) of St. Johns, made her peaceful transition surrounded by family and her beloved cats, in the early morning hours of Monday, August 6, after a 19-month battle with cancer. She was 79.
Robin was born in Flint, Michigan on March 3, 1939, the only child of Ashley L. Rice and Alberta (Eckles) Rice but lived most of her life in Mason, MI. She graduated from Mason High School in 1957.
After raising four children, Robin went back to school to earn her college degree at Michigan State University and went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from Cooley Law School in Lansing. She remarried in 1988 and eventually moved to St. Johns, MI where she worked as an attorney for Bill Jackson, P.C.
Robin was a knowledgeable birder and was quoted in birding magazines. She was also a dedicated member of Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing, MI and served as Board Chair as well as advising on legal issues for many years.
Robin will be terribly missed by her loving family, husband Kenneth A. Ballard, children, Laura Runyan, Claudia Runyan, Colleen Runyan Bethea and Charles Runyan (and Gary Eminger), as well as 7 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held in the near future and notice details will be published on the Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing’s website as well as several other venues.
Robin requested that any charitable contributions on her behalf be made to Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing or Whitefish Point Birding Observatory.