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Betty Delois Harris-Ball of Lakeland, FL, passed away on June 16, 2021 at the age of 81.
Betty Delois Harris-Ball was born on March 4, 1940 in Orange County, Florida to the parents of the late William Harris and Pearly Mae Gallman, who is blessed to be yet in our midst. She was united in marriage to Moses Ball Jr. and to their union they were blessed with five children. She received her literary education at Bartow Elementary and Middle school. She later moved to Lakeland, Florida where she completed her high school education at Rochelle High School.
Being the charismatic person that she was, she then stepped into a world that was normally designed for men and she moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she began her professional license as a Barbering Stylist. She graduated with her barbering licensure and began her barber career in Sarasota, Florida and then in Hollywood, Florida. Because of her polished handiwork, men stood in line to have Betty cut and style their hair. After serving in the barber community for many years she begin to realize that she had a God-given gift for design and fashion and began to explore other avenues of styling and design. She enrolled into the local community Interior and Floral Design School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to pursue becoming a professional floral and interior designer. After completion of design school, Betty was shortly hired as the first and only African American head designer of Jordan Marsh
Department Stores in the late 1970’s in Miami, Florida. She had a passion and love for decor, decorating, and putting a smile on peoples face with her extraordinary and unique designs.
This became her motivation to begin pursuing and launching her own business and stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. She stood on the scripture that “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, Ephesians 11:1, and she fully walked by faith and put her trust in the Lord. Her faith for this great endeavor was built up as she attended her home church, Abundant Life Christian Center in Margate, Florida. From there she gained the strength to step out in the mid 1980’s to open Betty’s Gallery of Flowers.
She served the community in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with one of a kind floral designs for marriages, social events, homegoing’s, and various home designs. She was one of the few African-Americans Floral Designers in South Florida and she was known for her “Pink” Floral Van travelling around the city putting smiles on people’s faces. She then expanded her business to Lakeland and Sarasota, Florida where she continued the legacy of serving as a devoted floral designer. Betty was awarded and recognized for various community accomplishments and her leadership as a black female business owner. She served as a floral and interior designer for 32 years and in the latter years of her career she desired to pass on her skills to the next generation and she taught floral design in a local high school in Colorado Springs, Colorado and many young people were exposed to the world of floral and interior design.
Along with her business accomplishments, Betty was known for her laughter, her jovial personality, her stylish dressing, her bold and direct conversations, and most of all for being a loving and committed mother to her five children and a truly good friend to those she has called friends for over forty years. She led Boy’s and Girl Scout clubs, she was the house that many the children would come too for fun, love and laughter, she gave her children the world and she was their number one cheerleader.
She leaves to cherish her memory and carry on her legacy; two sons, Tony Ball of Houston, TX and Terry Ball of Fort Lauderdale, FL and three girls; Gervis “Rochelle” King of Lakeland, FL, Cherry Shephard of Colorado Springs, CO, and Candance Ball of Los Angeles, CA. Her mother, Pearly Mae Gallman of Sarasota, FL; and fifteen grandchildren; Jessica Ball, Cory Ball, Tony Ball Jr., Shekinah Ball, Brittany Ball, Jermaine Turner, Termaine Turner, Terri King, Trent King, Terrance King, Joshua Shephard, Justin Shephard, Miracle Shephard, Michael Shephard, Faith Shephard. She also leaves to cherish her memory a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.
Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 03, 2021 at Rhema Word of Faith International (3330 Skyview Drive Lakeland, FL 33801). Condolences may be sent to the family at Oldham Funeral Home.
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