BLET General Chairman Michael K. Ball passed away unexpectedly at his away from home terminal on December 21, 2023. He was 57 years old.

At the time of his passing, Brother Ball was serving the BLET as General Chairman of the CPKC/Texas-Mexican Railway (Tex-Mex) General Committee of Adjustment and as Local Chairman of Division 244 (Laredo, Texas). He started serving as Local Chairman in August 2014 and as General Chairman in August 2015.

Brother Ball began his railroad career in the early 1990s when he hired out with the Houston Belt and Terminal Railway Company (HB&T). After earning promotion to locomotive engineer, he joined the BLET on April 1, 1993, as a member of Division 62 (Houston, Texas). He would later transfer his BLET membership to Division 244 after he began working for the Tex-Mex.

BLET National Vice President Alan Holdcraft, who worked extensively with Brother Ball over the years, said: “Michael cared deeply about his members and he worked hard to help them in any way he could. He loved the BLET. Anyone who met Mike generally came to the same conclusion. He was the nicest, most thoughtful person I have ever met.”

Brother Ball is survived by three children: Cotessa Solomon, Donovon Ball, and Mikayla Ball, who is a senior in high school.

A January 4 service will take place in Houston at the Windsor Village United Methodist Church (6011 W. Orem Dr., Houston, TX 77085), with a viewing scheduled for 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. and the service beginning at 11:00 a.m. A January 6 celebration of life will be held in his hometown of Crowley, Louisiana, at the Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church (519 W. 3rd St., Crowley, LA, 70526). The viewing runs from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., with the service beginning at 1:00 p.m