Peg Ballard
Peg Ballard was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on May 21, 1921. She graduated from Waterbury's St. Margaret Catholic Grade School and Waterbury Catholic High and earned her BA degree at the Teachers College of Connecticut, now Central Connecticut State University, in only three years.
Peg married Lt. Richard Ballard, US Air Force, the day after her college graduation and moved to El Paso, Texas, where Dick was stationed. She taught kindergarten on the base in Texas and later in Denver. At the end of World War II, Dick, Peg and son Richard returned to Connecticut taking up residence in Bristol. When daughters Anne and Beth were both in grammar school, Peg returned to the classroom, teaching kindergarten at Burlington Street School in Bristol. Peg also began her life-long love of "bridge'' at this time.
In 1963, Dick's work brought the Ballard family to Branford. The following year Peg resumed her love of teaching as a kindergarten teacher at Damascus School, now Mary Tisko School and later at Tabor Lutheran. By this time Peg's reputation for being a superior teacher had spread beyond Branford. In 1967, Grade Teacher magazine named Peg one of our nation's outstanding early childhood educators. In announcing this honor the journal wrote, ''She is...an inspiration to educators at all levels... whether new teachers or old timers, these outstanding teachers have in common a love affair with the job, a sense of adventure in the classroom and an intense interest in and affection for young children." Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Ernest Weeks, nominated her for this honor.
In 1969, Peg, Ruth Onnan and Rose Boswell teamed up to teach Branford's initial special education class at the old Short Beach School. In 1970, Peg earned her master's degree in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University to work as a librarian at Branford Junior High School. In 1972, Peg, Barbara Vincent and Alice Martens opened the library at the new Branford Intermediate School. Peg retired from the Branford School System in 1983.
Peg loved travel, bridge, crosswords, Sudoku and UConn Women's Basketball. She attended several Final Fours and traveled to many Big East schools to watch the Huskies play. Peg was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Branford Garden Club, New Havener's Club, Half Hour Reading, several bridge groups and a Red Cross blood drive volunteer. She still found time to read several books a week.
In addition to her three children, Peg has seven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. In 2010, Peg passed away and joined Dick, the love of her life and their grandson Brian.
Upon her retirement, the Branford Board of Education wrote, "In your years of service as a teacher of kindergarten, special education and for eleven years as a media specialist, you have served our children in a dedicated, professional manner. At Branford Intermediate School you have helped shape a library/media program which is a credit to the district and exemplary of your skills and abilities." For these reasons and for superior, child-centered professionalism, Branford's Education Hall of Fame is proud to induct Peg Ballard.
Peg married Lt. Richard Ballard, US Air Force, the day after her college graduation and moved to El Paso, Texas, where Dick was stationed. She taught kindergarten on the base in Texas and later in Denver. At the end of World War II, Dick, Peg and son Richard returned to Connecticut taking up residence in Bristol. When daughters Anne and Beth were both in grammar school, Peg returned to the classroom, teaching kindergarten at Burlington Street School in Bristol. Peg also began her life-long love of "bridge'' at this time.
In 1963, Dick's work brought the Ballard family to Branford. The following year Peg resumed her love of teaching as a kindergarten teacher at Damascus School, now Mary Tisko School and later at Tabor Lutheran. By this time Peg's reputation for being a superior teacher had spread beyond Branford. In 1967, Grade Teacher magazine named Peg one of our nation's outstanding early childhood educators. In announcing this honor the journal wrote, ''She is...an inspiration to educators at all levels... whether new teachers or old timers, these outstanding teachers have in common a love affair with the job, a sense of adventure in the classroom and an intense interest in and affection for young children." Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Ernest Weeks, nominated her for this honor.
In 1969, Peg, Ruth Onnan and Rose Boswell teamed up to teach Branford's initial special education class at the old Short Beach School. In 1970, Peg earned her master's degree in Library Science from Southern Connecticut State University to work as a librarian at Branford Junior High School. In 1972, Peg, Barbara Vincent and Alice Martens opened the library at the new Branford Intermediate School. Peg retired from the Branford School System in 1983.
Peg loved travel, bridge, crosswords, Sudoku and UConn Women's Basketball. She attended several Final Fours and traveled to many Big East schools to watch the Huskies play. Peg was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Branford Garden Club, New Havener's Club, Half Hour Reading, several bridge groups and a Red Cross blood drive volunteer. She still found time to read several books a week.
In addition to her three children, Peg has seven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. In 2010, Peg passed away and joined Dick, the love of her life and their grandson Brian.
Upon her retirement, the Branford Board of Education wrote, "In your years of service as a teacher of kindergarten, special education and for eleven years as a media specialist, you have served our children in a dedicated, professional manner. At Branford Intermediate School you have helped shape a library/media program which is a credit to the district and exemplary of your skills and abilities." For these reasons and for superior, child-centered professionalism, Branford's Education Hall of Fame is proud to induct Peg Ballard.