Allen Horace Balch, Capt., USN, (Ret.), died May 5, 2015 in Green Valley, AZ.
Born to Amos Henry and Barbara Allen Stone Balch in Abilene, TX, his family later moved to Tyler, Texas, where he grew up.
Al graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949, and married Henrietta Jean Roach, also of Tyler. As a reconnaissance aviator, he served during the Korean conflict, earning the China Service Medal, and was commanding officer of a P3-Orion squadron during the Vietnam conflict. Other awards included the Armed Forces Expeditionary Ribbon - Cuba. Duty afloat included tours on the USS INTREPID. Allen retired after five years of service in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon, where he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal and a Legion of Merit.
As a teen Al first used his wonderful speaking voice as a radio broadcaster at KGKB in Tyler. After retiring, Allen returned to radio at WRR in Dallas, where he interviewed Sen. John Tower, ultimately returning to Washington to accept the position as Tower's press secretary. During his time in Washington, Allen married his second wife, Lindsay, and lived aboard a houseboat docked in view of the Jefferson Memorial. He later became a full-time anchor on WTOP, a CBS affiliate station in the Washington area, and also developed a series of interviews entitled "The Senators".
When Allen and Lindsay moved to Green Valley, AZ, he continued his involvement in civic affairs and the media, hosting a weekly television show and singing bass in his community choir.
Allen is survived by his wife, Lindsay, and by his five children from his first marriage to Henrietta Jean Roach Balch (predeceased): Paulanne Balch, MD of Boulder, CO, Deborah LaCivita of Greenwich, CT, Patricia Tracy of Manassas, VA, Allen (Skip) Balch of Austin, TX, and Karen Sue Pittman, of Ruston, LA; by Lindsay's two sons: George R. Miller of Los Gatos, CA and Col. Randolph P. Miller USAF (Ret.) of Washington, DC, 13 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, and by his sister, Ruby Virginia Smith, of Dalhart, TX.
Born to Amos Henry and Barbara Allen Stone Balch in Abilene, TX, his family later moved to Tyler, Texas, where he grew up.
Al graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949, and married Henrietta Jean Roach, also of Tyler. As a reconnaissance aviator, he served during the Korean conflict, earning the China Service Medal, and was commanding officer of a P3-Orion squadron during the Vietnam conflict. Other awards included the Armed Forces Expeditionary Ribbon - Cuba. Duty afloat included tours on the USS INTREPID. Allen retired after five years of service in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon, where he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal and a Legion of Merit.
As a teen Al first used his wonderful speaking voice as a radio broadcaster at KGKB in Tyler. After retiring, Allen returned to radio at WRR in Dallas, where he interviewed Sen. John Tower, ultimately returning to Washington to accept the position as Tower's press secretary. During his time in Washington, Allen married his second wife, Lindsay, and lived aboard a houseboat docked in view of the Jefferson Memorial. He later became a full-time anchor on WTOP, a CBS affiliate station in the Washington area, and also developed a series of interviews entitled "The Senators".
When Allen and Lindsay moved to Green Valley, AZ, he continued his involvement in civic affairs and the media, hosting a weekly television show and singing bass in his community choir.
Allen is survived by his wife, Lindsay, and by his five children from his first marriage to Henrietta Jean Roach Balch (predeceased): Paulanne Balch, MD of Boulder, CO, Deborah LaCivita of Greenwich, CT, Patricia Tracy of Manassas, VA, Allen (Skip) Balch of Austin, TX, and Karen Sue Pittman, of Ruston, LA; by Lindsay's two sons: George R. Miller of Los Gatos, CA and Col. Randolph P. Miller USAF (Ret.) of Washington, DC, 13 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, and by his sister, Ruby Virginia Smith, of Dalhart, TX.
Allen Horace Balch, Capt., USN, (Ret.), died May 5, 2015 in Green Valley, AZ.
Born to Amos Henry and Barbara Allen Stone Balch in Abilene, TX, his family later moved to Tyler, Texas, where he grew up.
Al graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949, and married Henrietta Jean Roach, also of Tyler. As a reconnaissance aviator, he served during the Korean conflict, earning the China Service Medal, and was commanding officer of a P3-Orion squadron during the Vietnam conflict. Other awards included the Armed Forces Expeditionary Ribbon - Cuba. Duty afloat included tours on the USS INTREPID. Allen retired after five years of service in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon, where he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal and a Legion of Merit.
As a teen Al first used his wonderful speaking voice as a radio broadcaster at KGKB in Tyler. After retiring, Allen returned to radio at WRR in Dallas, where he interviewed Sen. John Tower, ultimately returning to Washington to accept the position as Tower's press secretary. During his time in Washington, Allen married his second wife, Lindsay, and lived aboard a houseboat docked in view of the Jefferson Memorial. He later became a full-time anchor on WTOP, a CBS affiliate station in the Washington area, and also developed a series of interviews entitled "The Senators".
When Allen and Lindsay moved to Green Valley, AZ, he continued his involvement in civic affairs and the media, hosting a weekly television show and singing bass in his community choir.
Allen is survived by his wife, Lindsay, and by his five children from his first marriage to Henrietta Jean Roach Balch (predeceased): Paulanne Balch, MD of Boulder, CO, Deborah LaCivita of Greenwich, CT, Patricia Tracy of Manassas, VA, Allen (Skip) Balch of Austin, TX, and Karen Sue Pittman, of Ruston, LA; by Lindsay's two sons: George R. Miller of Los Gatos, CA and Col. Randolph P. Miller USAF (Ret.) of Washington, DC, 13 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, and by his sister, Ruby Virginia Smith, of Dalhart, TX.
Born to Amos Henry and Barbara Allen Stone Balch in Abilene, TX, his family later moved to Tyler, Texas, where he grew up.
Al graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1949, and married Henrietta Jean Roach, also of Tyler. As a reconnaissance aviator, he served during the Korean conflict, earning the China Service Medal, and was commanding officer of a P3-Orion squadron during the Vietnam conflict. Other awards included the Armed Forces Expeditionary Ribbon - Cuba. Duty afloat included tours on the USS INTREPID. Allen retired after five years of service in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon, where he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal and a Legion of Merit.
As a teen Al first used his wonderful speaking voice as a radio broadcaster at KGKB in Tyler. After retiring, Allen returned to radio at WRR in Dallas, where he interviewed Sen. John Tower, ultimately returning to Washington to accept the position as Tower's press secretary. During his time in Washington, Allen married his second wife, Lindsay, and lived aboard a houseboat docked in view of the Jefferson Memorial. He later became a full-time anchor on WTOP, a CBS affiliate station in the Washington area, and also developed a series of interviews entitled "The Senators".
When Allen and Lindsay moved to Green Valley, AZ, he continued his involvement in civic affairs and the media, hosting a weekly television show and singing bass in his community choir.
Allen is survived by his wife, Lindsay, and by his five children from his first marriage to Henrietta Jean Roach Balch (predeceased): Paulanne Balch, MD of Boulder, CO, Deborah LaCivita of Greenwich, CT, Patricia Tracy of Manassas, VA, Allen (Skip) Balch of Austin, TX, and Karen Sue Pittman, of Ruston, LA; by Lindsay's two sons: George R. Miller of Los Gatos, CA and Col. Randolph P. Miller USAF (Ret.) of Washington, DC, 13 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, and by his sister, Ruby Virginia Smith, of Dalhart, TX.
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