Dr. Roman Marvin BALA

BALA, Dr. Roman Marvin
This week we say good-bye to a man who was so many things to so many people. A doctor, farmer, teacher, husband, son, brother, father, and friend. We lay his body to rest and send him back to the earth he loved so much. We will never forget his spirit and his memory, for he touched us forever. He made a difference. He made the world a better place. Dr. Roman Marvin Bala passed away on Tuesday, January 4, 2000, at the age of 64 years. He is survived by his wife, Rosalie Bala; his children, Murray, Kristin, and Heather Bala, and their mother, Barbara Aitken; his brother, Harry Bala and wife Ellen; his sister, Jenny Luniw and husband, Bill; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Justyna (nee Tomkiewych) and Teodore; and his brothers, John, Michael, and Peter. Although he was taken from us early in life, he accomplished so much in his years. He has a long and distinguished record as a farmer, doctor, and person. Born in Rochfort Bridge, Alberta to Ukrainian parents, he was raised in a close-knit farming community. He learned at an early age, the joy of working the land, of seeing the sunrise through the swaying wheat of the prairies. He often joked, ;You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy. Dr. Bala obtained his medical degree from the University of Alberta in 1958, and then went on to train at the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minnesota, and in Winnipeg, where he obtained his specialty certification in internal medicine and F.R.C.P. from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and subsequently an F.A.C.P. from the American College of Physicians. In 1967, he was awarded a Medical Research Council of Canada Fellowship in endocrinology at the Royal Victoria Hospital and McGill University in Montreal. In 1970, he was recruited to an academic full-time position and as Head of the Division of Endocrinology at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Bala was one of the pioneer faculty of that new medical school and was involved in the development and implementation of the new curriculum. After establishing an excellent division of Endocrinology in Calgary, he moved to Saskatoon in 1980 as Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan Hospital. He remained there until 1994, when he took sabbatical leave and then retired. Dr. Bala was, throughout his career, an accomplished researcher and writer in the areas of human growth hormone and diabetes. He was energized by his research, his leadership of and participation in numerous medical committees, and his role as a supervisor and teacher. His contributions to the medical field are immeasurable and too numerous to list. He was particularly committed to the Canadian Diabetes Association, the National Board of which he was the Vice President (he received the Banting Award of the CDA). It is impossible, in such a small space, to truly capture what made him who he was. Those who knew him well will smile when they think of him. They will think of words like generous, intelligent, introspective, sensitive, kind, witty, classy, peaceful. They will remember his gentleness when holding his beloved stray cat, Lucy. They will long to give him a hug. To tell him that we were blessed to have him in our lives. Welcome him Lord, open your arms, give him comfort, warmth, peace
love him as he was loved on earth. We will miss him, but he will live forever in our hearts. Relatives and friends may pay their respects Friday, January 7 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Park Memorial Chapel, 9709-111 Avenue, Edmonton. Dr. Bala, Roman, will be returned to his home, to Rochfort Bridge, in a funeral service on Saturday, January 8 at 12:00 noon at Mayerthorpe United Church, Mayerthorpe. Reverend Margaret Lange officiating with interment in Rochfort Bridge. Donations may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association, #1010, 10117 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5J 1W8. Park Memorial Ltd. Funeral Administrators and Directors (The Chapel on the Boulveard) (780) 426-0050.