Eugene ‘Vic’ Ball (1949-2023): firefighter and athlete
A dedicated firefighter who also coached the Devonshire Colts football team was a keen competitive cycling enthusiast.
Eugene “Vic” Ball’s firefighting career spanned 30 years, rising through the ranks to become a divisional officer before retiring in 2004.
Mr Ball’s knack for construction resulted in three family homes, and went to good use in mission trips abroad with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Growing up in the Friswells Hill neighbourhood, Mr Ball competed in the island’s first integrated sports day in 1966.
He attended Prospect Primary School, followed by the Prospect Secondary School for Boys.
According to a family tribute, sports played “a defining role” in Mr Ball’s life, with the football field standing out as his “haven”.
Mr Ball took to the pitch with Devonshire Colts and in 1996 he became the team’s coach, leading the Colts to a string of victories.
During his early employment with the Bermuda Telephone Company, he met his wife-to-be, Elizabeth Trott, while working on phone lines near her home.
The couple married in 1972, and had two children, Vic and Georgina.
In 1974, Mr Ball signed up with what was then the Hamilton Fire Brigade.
Winning a cycling contest for the service sparked a passion for the sport, in which he represented the island twice in the World Firefighting Games.
Even after a serious crash in 1990, Mr Ball directed his cycle’s repair from his hospital bed and was back on the roads the following May 24 for the Heritage Race from Somerset to Hamilton.
Family tributes recalled his tireless work ethic along with devotion to his faith.
“He perpetually served others throughout his life, as a deacon, member of the Family Court panel, board member for a number of community organisations and a mentor to young minds, leaving an indelible mark on many for generations to come.
“His wisdom, integrity and kindness were boundless, and his steadfast principles made him an anchor for countless individuals.”
After retirement, Mr Ball kept busy as a taxi operator — and continued climbing scaffolding to work on the family home.
• Eugene Thelbert “Vic” Ball, a Bermuda Fire and Rescue Service divisional officer, was born on January 30, 1949. He died on September 1, 2023, aged 74
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