JOHN M. "JAY" BALL

1954 - 2025

BALL, John M. "Jay" Of Norwood, formerly of Needham, passed away on Friday, May 2, 2025, surrounded by his children, after a valiant battle with cancer. Born to John P. and Mary J. (Mahon) Ball on December 11, 1954, Jay was raised in Brookline, a place he held a deep connection to his entire life. Jay worked for 40 years as a self-employed paint contractor and blessed his family and friends with his talents and craftsmanship with their many home projects well into his retirement. The backbone of his family, Jay was the chef for every holiday meal, coordinated all the heavy lifting for all of his children's many moves and cheered the loudest for his children at all of their personal and professional milestones. Jay was known for his laughter, dry sense of humor and most of all dedication to his beloved family. Jay is deeply missed by his loving children, Caitlin (Michael Shustack) of Westwood, Colleen of Nahant and Ryan (Keri (Avery)) of Needham; and grandchildren, Jack and Theodore Shustack. Also survived by his sister, Jean Merra (Jeffrey); his cousins whom he viewed as sisters, The Hon. Regina Quinlan Doherty (Ret.) and Anne Moran; and many more cousins and friends. Jay was predeceased by his sisters, Elizabeth "Betsey" Ball and Louise Taylor. Jay's family thanks the medical team at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, particularly Dr. Jessica Zerillo and Dr. Robert Cerulli, for their expertise and unwavering support during Jay's illness. A proper Irish American, Jay's favorite section of the newspaper was the obituaries, so we hope we did him proud. The family plans to hold a Toast to celebrate Jay's life, which will be scheduled in the near future.

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