Bradley E. Ballard

Bradley E. Ballard. On the morning of May 22, 2016, Brad passed away at the age of 47. Brad was surrounded by family and loved ones who provided comfort and support during his final days. Brad was born on June 29, 1968, the first child of Edwin Ballard and Karen Owens. Growing up in Taylor, MI, Brad's adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit was obvious from an early age. As a youth he travelled the neighbourhoods of his city making delivery on his paper routes, got into all kinds of mischief with his younger brother Brian, and lived in a boat on the Detroit River. Other jobs Brad took on before graduating high school included caddying at a golf course, working in the restaurant industry, boat repair at a salvage yard and - as a sign of things to come - developing and setting off pyrotechnics for Von Glahn, a popular local heavy metal band. After high-school, Brad completed the apprenticeship program of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). This was a pivotal moment in Brad's life, with his work taking him across the country and leading him on several lifetimes worth of escapades. From Detroit to New Jersey, to Boston, Hawaii, California and Las Vegas, Brad met and befriended countless folks along the way who were attracted to his caring soul, free spirit and lust for life. During his travels and 27 years of service with IBEW, Brad was drawn to people and events that ran counter to the mainstream. He was proud to have worked on projects including the Burning Man festival, the construction of Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis theatre, and Mechabolic: 130 foot long moving sculpture powered by the garbage that it consumed. While never one to shy away from a good time, there was a spirit of charity and giving that underscored Brad's journey in life. As a membership development officer for the Detroit IBEW Local 58, Brad reached out to young workers to educate them about their rights and how to navigate the workforce. Brad was a tireless volunteer for the Local 58, donating his time and skills to make electrical repairs for veterans and the less fortunate, cleaning up the highway and gathering collections for the union's food drives. He was also active in RENEW, a program for the next generation of electrical workers. Brad was an accomplished artist whose work as part of Detroit's Apetechnology collective honors the city's industrial legacy. Featuring large, loud mobile sculptures that are simultaneously ominous and playful, his art has been exhibited across the Northeast United States including the installation Visions in a Cornfield at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. He was a longtime contributor to the DLECTRICITY and Noel Night events in Detroit, and displayed his work in New York, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Montreal, and at the Electric Eclectics festival of experimental art and sound. As a political advocate, Brad volunteered for progressive candidates, most recently Bernie Sanders. During the 2016 Democratic primaries, while most canvassers shied away from reaching out to some of the most poverty stricken areas in Michigan and Indiana, Brad was characteristically the first to raise his hand to go knocking on doors, and helped to achieve victories in both states. Brad is preceded in death by his grandparents Donald and Irene Ballard, and Chester and Helen Ratcliff. Brad is survived by his parents Edwin Ballard and Karen (Ken) Owens, his partner Heather Couture, and his brother Brian (Monica) Ballard. He is the stepbrother of Jeffrey Owens, Sherrie Coulson (Kit) and Julia Owens and uncle of Jacob, Joshua, Rylee, Jessica, Emily, Jake and Dylan. A celebration of Brad's life will be held on Saturday May 28, 2016 at 5pm at the Allen Park Chapel - Martensen Family of Funeral Homes (10915 Allen Rd., Allen Park, MI). Visitation hours are from 3pm to 7pm at the same location that day.