PAUL E. BALCO

PAUL E. BALCO, 87, of Holland, Mich., formerly of Pittsburgh, Pa., passed on into eternal glory with his Lord and Saviour on Saturday, May 14, 2011, at Holland Hospice, surrounded by his loving children after a four year battle with multiple myeloma. He worked in sales for CSX for 39 years, covering upstate New York and then moving to a new job in Pittsburgh, where he later retired in 1983. He loved to play the accordion and he enjoyed playing his entire life. "He was completely self-taught and brought a smile to all who listened to his music. He was an avid golfer, aviation enthusiast, writer, woodworker, bicyclist, and Pittsburgh Steelers fan. More importantly, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather with his family always coming first in his life." He is survived by his devoted only daughter, Susan E. Rose of Saugatuck; sons, Alan E. Balco of Atlanta and Steven Paul Balco of Fort Wayne; and very special grandchildren, Brian Balco of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., Jamie Balco of Portland, Ore. and Paul Joseph Balco of Charlotte, N.C., along with Karli and Jeffrey Balco, both of Fort Wayne. He was fortunate to live to see two great grandchildren born, Hutton and Wren Balco, children of Brian. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, Elsie; two sisters; and four brothers. "The family would like to thank Christopher Fink, DO, Kendra Kraft, R.N. and Eric Batts, MD for their compassionate care and kindness in watching over our 'Pop' for the past four years, allowing him to have a superior quality of life until the very end." A Memorial Mass will be held in his honor at a later date yet to be determined. No visitation is scheduled. Burial in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Drums, Pa. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by Dykstra Funeral Homes-Mulder Chapel. For more information and an online registry, visit www.dykstrafuneralhome.com