Ballenger
Class of 1968
John Murray Ballenger (1947-2005)
John was born in Pensacola Florida on February 7, 1947. His father, Murray White Ballenger was a career Naval physician. Consequently, John lived in various places while growing up. His high school years were spent in part in Northern Virginia where the family owned a home in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, and subsequently in Menlo Park, California. John enrolled at the University of Virginia in September of 1964, and pledged Beta Upsilon of Pi Kappa Phi, shortly thereafter. His big brother was Ron McKinney. He was initiated in 1965. At the University John was an active member of the Jefferson Society, and Naval ROTC. Through these organizations he had many friends outside the fraternity as well as within. John graduated in June of 1968, and was commissioned in the United States Naval Reserve. During his time in the Navy, John served aboard ships in the Southeast Asia war zone. After his discharge, he attended and graduated from the University of Houston Scho
ol of Law. Thereafter, he worked for a time at the Interstate Commerce Commission in Washington, D. C., before leaving to enter private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, eventually founding the firm of Thomas, Ballenger, Vogelman & Turner, P. C., a firm which still bears his name. He was active and successful in a variety of cases. He married Mara Jesse, and had two sons, James and Charles. They lived in his family’s home in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County. John was an active member in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and through his sons, Troop 654 of the Boy Scouts of America. During his service in the Navy, John had been exposed to asbestos, and he subsequently developed mesothelioma. After several operations and a hard fight against the disease, he died on October 4, 2005.
Presented by: Thomas Guidoboni, Class of '68