Thomas R. Balog, 88 of Saybrook Township went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Wednesday (Nov. 8th) in the Hospice Unit at the Ashtabula County Medical Center. He was born May 30, 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Michael and Mary Balog. Tom was a veteran of the US Army during the Korean Conflict.

He married his sweetheart, Beverly Jean Oles on April 4, 1949. For over 50 years they ran Balog Cleaning Services together. We teased that every vehicle—even the family car—was painted “Balog Blue.” He cheerfully set a blistering pace at work, which his crew—even when decades younger—simply couldn’t match.

Those around him saw his faithfulness at the Bible Baptist Church in Ashtabula, and as he taught Sunday school or led Bible studies through the years. They saw him distributing Bibles with Gideons International, and preaching at many churches in northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. What most did not see was his quiet devotion and study of the Bible, as he carefully made thousands of color-coded notes in it.

Tom enjoyed reading all his life, and until his last days could be found with a large stack of books next to him. At one point, his home library contained over 8000 books, more than a few of which were Bible commentaries.

But his greatest joy was his family. We will remember countless games played at the kitchen table, vacations and adventures together. We’ll remember him backing into our driveways with scaffolding, paint sprayers, or carpentry tools… in a blue truck of course. And there will be fond memories of cuddling up to Grandpa as he read “just one more story”… again and again, with various voices and sound effects thrown in.

Surviving Tom are his wife of 68 years, Beverly Jean Balog; three children, Charles S. Balog of Saybrook, Carol (Dan) Adams of Cuyahoga Falls and Lonnie N. Balog of Kentucky; three grandchildren, Jennifer (Russ) Tinkham, Kathleen (Jim) Malone and Emily (Chris) Noatch; seven great-grandchildren, Lily, Meriel, John and Della Tinkham, Esther, James and Janelle Malone; and a brother, Kenneth (Sharon) Balog of California. He was preceded in death by his parents and by two brothers, Michael and Theodore Balog.

Funeral service will be Monday (Nov. 13th) at 2:00 PM at the Ashtabula Home of Fleming & Billman Funeral Directors and Crematory, 526 W. Prospect Rd. Ashtabula, with Rev. Dr. Larry Emery of the Bible Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Edgewood Cemetery.

Calling hours will be Monday from 12:00 Noon until the time of service at the funeral home. Condolences and obituary at www.fleming-billman.com.

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