Tony Ray Balisle, of Nixa, Missouri, passed away in his son's home in Springfield on December 3rd, 2015. Tony (known affectionately as Skip during his youth; Granddad and Papa Tony to his grandchildren) was born on August 22nd, 1938 in Clebit, Oklahoma to David P. and Nora M. (Nash) Balisle. Along with his twin sister, Tony was the youngest of six children. Tony was a standout basketball star at Battiest High School, where he graduated in 1956. Upon graduation, Tony briefly attended Eastern Oklahoma A & M (now Oklahoma State University) before joining the United States Marines. He was stationed in Honolulu, HI, where he met Lois Robinson, a young schoolteacher from Michigan. Tony and Lois were married on October 21st, 1961 at Saint Andrew's Cathedral in downtown Honolulu. As a testament to his work ethic, Tony would often moonlight as a mechanic, while reporting for duty during the day. After the completion of his service, they returned to the Midwest where Tony began working at Campbell 66, in Springfield, Missouri. Tony spent 20+ years working for Campbell 66 before finishing his career as the Executive Vice President of American Freightways. Tony was an avid golfer, starting many days at Bair's Grocery with his friends before heading to Hidden Valley Golf Course. He recorded an impressive 11 holes-in-one over the course of his life. Tony is preceded in death by his parents, brothers Preston and Delbert, and his twin sister Faye. He is survived by Lois, his wife of 54 years and sons Jeff, Pat (Donne), and Sean (Cindy). He is also survived by his sister, Margaret, brother, Tom, and brother-in-law, Jack. He has 7 grandchildren: Todd (Jessica), Cody (Sunday), Kate Alexander (Jared), Ellyn Bean (Dale), Scott, Hope, and Chris Raines. He has 4 great-grandchildren, a large extended family, and many other friends and loved ones who will miss him dearly. A visitation will be held on Sunday, December 6 from 4-6 P.M. at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held on Monday, December 7th, at 11 A.M. at Lebanon City Cemetery, in Lebanon, MO.
