June 27, 1955 –  March 2, 2017  Teresa Lynn Ballard of Celina, Texas passed away March 2, 2017 after a 22- month long fight against pancreatic cancer. Funeral Services will be held at First Baptist Church in Celina, Texas Monday, March 6, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. with Rev. Kevin Lykins officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Tabor Cemetery in Sandusky, Texas. Visitation will be held Sunday, March 5th at 3:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Celina. Meador Funeral Home of Whitesboro, Texas is in charge of arrangements. Teresa was born June 27, 1955 in Sherman, Texas to Royce and Helen Arnold of Whitesboro, Texas. She grew up and graduated from Whitesboro High School. She continued her education at the University of North Texas, graduating with a degree in Education.
She transitioned from teaching to technical support working for such companies as Brinkmann, Datapoint and PAGENet. It was during her employment at PAGENet that she met her future husband, Dwane Lee Ballard. They were married in June of 1993, and made their home in Wylie, Texas. They were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Janie Lynn Ballard in April of 1996 and in 1999, the family moved to Celina, Texas. Teresa was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Celina and was a founding member of the newly re-formed Celina Garden Club, as well as an active member of C.A.R.E. and Fidelis Inter Se. Her interests ranged from gardening, homemaking and supporting her daughter’s cheerleading endeavors. As an offshoot of her cheerleading sponsorship, Teresa began doing videography for weddings and other events. She would later donate her time and skills to the First Baptist Church for various video projects. She was also a supporter of the North Texas Food Bank, helping with monthly food distributions to needy families in the Northwest Collin County area. Pallbearers will be “Choc” Christopher, Steve Casey, “Buck” Stephen Jones, Terry McGill, Lee Waddell and Scott Franklin.
She is survived by her husband, Dwane Ballard of Celina; daughter, Janie Ballard of Dallas; brother, Robert Royce Arnold, Jr. of Ivanhoe; father-in-law, J.W. Ballard and mother-in-law, Verlyn Ballard; brother-in-law, Scott Ballard and sister-in-law, Mario Ballard; nephew, Grant Ballard and niece, Shaelyn Ballard. The family would like to thank the nurses at the UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center Richardson Clinic for their compassionate support and treatment.
In lieu of flowers, Teresa asked that donations be made to either of the following: First Baptist Church Audio/Video Department, 841 N. Preston Rd., Celina, Texas 75009 or Fidelis Inter Se, 17055 W. FM 455, Celina, Texas 75009.