Curtis Grant Balser

1940 - 2020

Balser, Curtis Grant
1940 - 2020
Curtis Grant Balser was born on August 10,1940 in Ravenswood, West Virginia and passed away on September 4, 2020 at his home in Greenville, SC. His life will be celebrated and remembered on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at the Cornerstone Baptist Church at 11:00 am. The body will lie in state from 10:15 to 10:45 am. The family will attend a private burial. He was a resident of Greenville County and prior to that, a former resident of Columbus, Ohio. He is predeceased by parents, Gerald Benton Balser and Naomi Lorraine Balser. He is survived by five sisters: Marilyn Stevens (Rev. John) of Shelby, NC; Linda Barber (Rev. Brian) of Tampa, FL; Lena Dueck (Rev. Wayne) of Santa Maria, CA; Christina Balsano (Gregory) of Riverside, CA; Deanna Baldwin (Dr. James) of Riverside, CA. He recently celebrated 58 years of marriage to his loving wife, Marilyn L. Balser. He was a supportive and devoted father to his three children including daughter, Rachel Balser Wolgemuth (Lamar) of Sunset, SC; daughter, Rebecca Ann Allar (Phillip) of Columbus, OH, and son, Daniel Balser. He enjoyed visits to the zoo and boat rides with his grandchildren: Riley Lyn Allar, Jayden Carroll, Gabriella Gunderson, Alexis Balser, Taylor Balser and Sydney Balser. He was passionate about education and lived his life teaching, coaching and training others. He graduated from the Ohio State University in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and with a Masters' Degree in Education Administration in 1972 from The Ohio State University. He was an educator from 1966 to 1996 and retired after 30 years with the Columbus Public School System. His passion for education followed him into retirement as he dedicated numerous hours to the Columbus Literacy Society and was recognized for his community contributions by the Columbus Dispatch for teaching English Second Language. Curtis actively taught ESL in Greenville at Cornerstone Baptist Church. His initiative and fervor for educating his students also led him to be honored as a leader for "Schools without Schools" during the 1976 energy crisis. The Columbus Dispatch honored him with the front page for conducting classes in a Worthington Paint & Hardware store. He enjoyed numerous hobbies including treasure-hunting at auctions, gardening, watching college football, and woodworking. He also enjoyed music, playing his many instruments, including playing the Baritone in his church orchestra and singing in the church choir. Both Curtis and Marilyn are members of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greenville, SC. In lieu of flowers, we would request that donations be made to a cause close to his heart, the new "Classroom & Education Wing" of Cornerstone Baptist in Greenville, SC. Condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.thomasmcafee.com.