- Date Of Birth: July 23, 1940
- Date Of Death: January 8, 2022
- State: Michigan
Ballett, Royce Albert “Butch” 7/23/1940 – 1/8/2022 Lawrence, MI Age 81. Passed Saturday evening, January, 8, 2022, after battling pneumonia. Roy was born in Kalamazoo, to James and Lousina (Stoops) Ballett. Roy served 31years with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff Department, most of those years as a Polygraph Examiner. Roy retired a Detective in 1995.
After many years of camping, Roy bought a cabin up north where he spent weekends splitting wood and sitting by the fire pit. Roy and LaVonne (Roe) moved to a farm in Van Buren County in 2000, where Roy would tend to his apple orchard and make his rounds in the fall selling his goods, known as “The Apple Man.” Roy enjoyed fishing. His passion was ice fishing. No fish were safe when Roy was on the ice.
When Roy wasn’t fishing, he could be seen sitting in the front window reading a book. Roy was a 4 time Master of Masonic Lodge, starting in 1972, during those years he was Chaplain for 20 consecutive years. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite.
Former President of the Michigan Association of Polygraph Examiners (M.A.P.E), Former President Kalamazoo Area Retirers Club, Former President Van Buren County Historical Society. Roy was preceded in death by his parents and a sibling; Charles Ballett. Surviving are his wife of 57 years LaVonne, 2 sons James (Lisa) Ballett, Daniel (Pamela) Ballett, 2 sisters Bonnie Vose, Nancy (Ian) Frost, 5 grandchildren, one great granddaughter, and his dog Zoey.
