The Life of Mr. B: A Principal’s Perspective

Jacob Turner Senior Editor of Photography

On Wednesday August 9th, sorrow fell upon the Damien community as news of Mr. Chuck Ballingall’s passing spread throughout the valley. For over thirty years, Mr. B had inspired a variety of groups at Damien, including his students, players, families, or even the faculty. These last several years, however, he had one of the most influential impacts on our principal, Dr. Merritt Hemenway.

Since coming to Damien in the Fall of 2012, Dr. Hemenway had worked closely with Mr. Ballingall every single day. “Mr. Ballingall was so knowledgeable about Damien High School: the curriculum, the history of the school, the teachers. I would ask him, ‘What should we do?’ and he would know. He was the go-to guy for myself.” One of the many important duties that Mr. Ballingall had was the not-so-easy task of formulating the master schedule. However, because he was so proficient at what he did, Mr. B seemed to have no problem with it at all. He was very familiar with his colleagues and knew instantly who could do what. “He knew exactly who could teach each class the best,” said Dr. Hemenway.

Over the years, Mr. Ballingall and Dr. Hemenway formed a very strong and personal relationship. When asked what some of his fondest memories of Mr. Ballingall were, Dr. Hemenway referred to the admiration he had for him for building the Master Schedule and announcing the baseball and basketball games.

Some of the best times he shared with Mr. Ballingall included their many discussions on the Los Angeles Dodgers. For example, they debated topics such as whether the Dodgers should trade pitcher Julio Urias. They even referred to themselves as “backdoor General Managers” for the team.

Another personal connection that Dr. Hemenway shared with Mr. Ballingall was their love of reading. “Probably half the books I have purchased were his own recommendations," stated Dr. Hemmingway. Not surprisingly, some of the books that Mr. B had recommended were baseball related, including The Arm, a real life story on the effects of Tommy John surgery. “He [Mr. Ballingall] was a baseball statistics nut and I am a baseball statistics nut.” The Dodgers are looking phenomenal as the 2017 season comes to a close. Mr. B will surely cheer his team on in the playoffs from heaven.

For years Mr. Ballingall had taught several different classes, such as AP Micro and Macroeconomics, Debate, and even various forms of history. Dr. Hemenway described Mr. B as “an incredible man of dedication to the ideals and spirit of Damien, and what it means to be a Damien Spartan.” He was truly dedicated to his work, no matter the goals or obstacles he faced. Even outside of Damien, he was dedicated to the numerous commitments he made. Dr. Hemenway described him perfectly as “the consummate Damien Spartan." The Damien community will forever remember Mr. Chuck Ballingall, The Voice of the Spartans.