Wayne Balliet

Wayne Roger Balliet, 74, of Bismarck, North Dakota, died of complications from pancreatic cancer on November 5, 2019. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, November 12, at Inspire Family Fellowship, 523 N 21^st St, Bismarck with Rev. Randy Upgram officiating.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, November 11, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck. A prayer service will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 12, at the ND Veterans Cemetery, Mandan.    

Wayne was born to Henry and Beatrice Balliet on May 28, 1945.  His father worked as an educator for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, so Wayne grew up in a number of reservation communities in Montana, North and South Dakota.  He graduated from high school in Ft. Yates, North Dakota in 1963.  Wayne worked his way through college at Dickinson State College in  Dickinson, N.D., primarily by working on a ranch in South Dakota in the summers-- a job he fondly remembered as one of his favorites.  He graduated with B.S. degrees in Biology and Physical Education. Some years later, he earned his M.S. degree in School Administration from Northern State College in Aberdeen, S.D.

Wayne began his career teaching and coaching in Belcourt, N.D.  It was there that he met Cynthia (Cindy) Sampson when she did her student teaching in Belcourt.  They were married on Aug. 8, 1971 and moved to Ft. Thompson, S.D. where they were both employed as teachers.

In 1974, Wayne enlisted in the US Navy and received training in Aviation Electronics.  He was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Millington, Tennessee and worked on the Curriculum Development Team at the Aviation Electronics School.  During this time, Wayne also went to night school and earned his A.E. degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from the State Technical Institute in Memphis.  He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1978.

Wayne and Cindy then decided to return to the field of Education and moved with their children, Rhonda and Ryan, to Alaska.  The first four years there, Wayne served as principal teacher in the Yup’ik village of Chefornak in Southwestern Alaska.  Following that, Wayne and family moved to Bethel, a nearby regional hub community. There Wayne first worked in School District Administration before teaching upper elementary science where he enjoyed using his unique combination of educational and technical skills to teach young people and spark their curiosity.

In 1997, Wayne and Cindy returned to Bismarck, ND, where Wayne was employed working as a lab technician at the Minnesota Valley Testing Lab until his retirement in 2016. He was grateful for all that he learned and the friendships he made there.

A handyman and person of many talents, Wayne enjoyed carpentry projects of all sorts, furniture refinishing, restoring a Model A Ford he had had since high school, and dabbling with electronic devices.  Having been involved in athletics in both high school and college, Wayne enjoyed being active and golfing with friends.  Hiking was also a life-long interest and he was thrilled to hike the Grand Canyon twice and to hike in Glacier National Park and The Bob Marshal Wilderness in Montana, as well as closer to home in North and South Dakota. Wayne and Cindy loved to travel and explore new places and in recent years enjoyed spending some winter months in Arizona, where Wayne also hiked.

Wayne’s life reflected his faith in a loving God.  He nurtured and treasured his relationships with family and friends and often reached out a helping hand to those who needed one.  He liked volunteering in both church and community activities.  The small group Bible studies he attended through the years were especially meaningful to him for the opportunities they provided for growing both in his faith and friendships. He was a member of Inspire Family Fellowship Church.

Grateful for having shared Wayne’s life are his mother Beatrice, Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho; wife Cindy, Bismarck;  two children, Rhonda (Jason) Fritz, Bismarck; and Ryan (Judith Brooks) Balliet, Palo Alto, California; and five grandchildren, Anja, Ava, and Anders Fritz; Ben and Sam Balliet; one brother, Wallace (Clarine) Balliet, Valentine, Nebraska; three sisters, Beverly (Michael) Chapman, Buffalo, Wyoming; Brenda (Eric) Stapleton, Spokane, Washington; Betty Donat, Rathdrum, Idaho; mother-in-law, Delores Sampson, Fargo, ND; a number of sisters and brothers-in-law; nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, Henry, and his sister Bonnie.