Pervis Jefferson Ballew's Obituary
Pervis Jefferson Ballew went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at the age of 90.
He was born to Willie Pervis and Ruth Lowry Ballew on August 4, 1932 in Lexa, Arkansas. He
was predeceased by his wife of 57 years, Mary Nell Read Ballew, whom he met on a blind date
in 1956. He is survived by his two sons, Jeff and wife, Jennifer, and Read and wife, Trish, and
four grandchildren, Read, Christie, Will and Georgia. He obtained his B.S. from the University
of Arkansas at Monticello and was a Certified Public Accountant. He became a life-long
resident of the Memphis area and had a 35 year career in management with the Buckeye
Cellulose Corporation, a subsidiary of The Proctor & Gamble Company. Upon his retirement,
Pervis engaged in a private tax and accounting practice that spanned an additional 25 years. He
was active in the community and his church, serving in leadership positions with the AICPA, the
NAA (now the Institute of Management Accountants), the TSCPA, the Tennessee State Board of
Accounting, and Grimes Memorial United Methodist Church, where he and his wife Mary Nell
were active for more than 45 years. Pervis was a member of the Scottish Rite Freemasons, the
Memphis Chapter of the Optimist Club, and the Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts of
America. He was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather, and was active in his
sons’ childhood participation in scouting, sports and camping. He was exceptionally generous
with his time, talents and resources in support of his family, his friends, his church, and those he
knew were in need. His children and grandchildren further remember him as kind, funny and
invested in their lives and development from childhood into their present stages in life. The visitation will held at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis TN from 10:00 a.m, Friday, April 21, 2023 until the service time at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to:
Scottish Rite for Children
In Memory of Pervis J Ballew
Mail to:
Development Department
Scottish Rite for Children
2222 Welborn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219
For Donations by credit card use link below and scroll down to HONOR/MEMORIAL section.
Scottish Rite for Children
secure3.convio.net
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