Obituary of Mary Kay Balas

Mary Kay Balas (nee Lambert) died on March 28, 2007 from complications of lymphoma and stroke. Kay was born in Bellaire, Ohio to Raymond and Mary Lambert on September 9, 1947. She graduated from Saint Vincent High School and earned her BA at the University of Akron. For eleven years she worked at the Summit County Children's Home as a unit manager at Harper Hall and as child care supervisor of Hanford, Upson, Kibler, and Krause Halls. She went on to earn her MA in family and consumer sciences, authoring a master's thesis entitled "The Diffusion of the Family Home Computer", a pioneering work for its time which led her to present at academic conferences in Columbus, New Orleans and Boston. She began PhD studies at Kent State University, but that endeavor was cut short due to family illness. She taught courses in IT and sociology at The University of Akron, as well as its branch, the Wayne College and at The Agricultural Technical Institute of Ohio State University. Since 1998, she was full-time manager of Cafe Momus, local coffeehouse near the University of Akron. She very much enjoyed the friendships and relationships she shared with all those she met in her various roles as child welfare advocate, teacher and business owner. Those who lament her passing include her parents; Husband John; sons Andy and Ben; sister Linda Meager (Paul); brothers Ray (Mary Ann): John (Ida); Robert (Cheryl) and nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be Sunday 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz Funeral Home 95 W. Waterloo Rd. Funeral services will be held Monday 9:30 a.m. at the funeral home and 10:00 a.m. at St. Sebastian Catholic Church. Interment Glendale Cemetery. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. (Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz, 330-724-1281, www.kakfh.com) An Anthony Family Funeral Home