Terrance “Terry” Balk

Thursday, January 5, 2023 3:40 am

Terrance “Terry” Balk age 74, of Cedar Falls, formerly of Waucoma, died Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Waucoma with Rev. Dan Knipper celebrating the Mass. Burial will be a later date.Friends may greet the family from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, at Hugeback – Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory in New Hampton, where there will be a 6:30 p.m .parish scripture service. Visitation continues an hour prior to the Mass at the church in Waucoma on Saturday.

Terry was born on Dec. 18, 1948, to Lawrence and Margaret (Sabelka) Balk in New Hampton and grew up on the family farm near Waucoma. He received his education at St. Mary’s Catholic School before transferring to Turkey Valley, where he played basketball, the tuba in the band, and was a member of the Class of 1967.

After graduating, he attended the University of Northern Iowa, where he majored in math and met another math student, Sharon Gerlich. They fell in love, and were married on Aug. 7, 1971, at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Calmar.Terry and Sharon took jobs at Amana Community Schools, where they taught math for nine years. Terry also coached both girls and boys basketball before moving to Waucoma to take over the family farm in 1981. Terry’s plan was to teach for a few years at Fredericksburg and then farm full-time, but fortunately for thousands of students, this plan never became a reality.

Terry made a huge impact on the faculty and students of Fredericksburg and, later in his career, Sumner-Fredericksburg. In addition to teaching math and driver’s education for 36 years, he coached a variety of junior high sports teams. He had a way of making learning, as one student put it, “fun.” Another student wrote that not only was Mr. Balk a great teacher, but he always set an example that made his students better people.Eric and Sarah will always remember the times he was there for them with sage advice, help with homework, or teaching them life lessons. To this day, they will tell you their father was the hardest-working person they have ever known.After Terry retired from Sumner-Fredericksburg, he taught for 8+ years at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar. He also worked for the Lynch Barbeque Team with many catering events and enjoyed driving their motor coach bus around the country. To Terry, these “jobs” with Lynch were not work but more of a social event with people he considered like family.He excelled as “Papa” to his five grandchildren. The only thing that Terry was better at than being a Husband and Father, was him being “Papa” to his grandchildren. Terry loved playing with them and getting in trouble with them because he was a kid at heart.Terry and Sharon enjoyed traveling to places like Las Vegas, Wisconsin Dells, Branson and Deadwood several times a year.He was a longtime member of St. Mary’s in Waucoma and attendee at St. Pat’s Catholic Church in Cedar Falls, where he was an active member of the Knights of Columbus.

This wonderful Husband, fantastic Father, terrific Papa, and tremendous teacher is gone way too soon. The lives he touched were many, as were the memories he made for all who had the good fortune to cross paths with Terry Balk.

Terry is survived by his wife, Sharon of Cedar Falls; his son, Eric (Heather) Balk of Cedar Falls; his daughter, Sarah (Ryan) Ries of Cedar Falls; his grandchildren, Adreana Balk, Cole Ries, Morgan Ries, Abigail Balk, and Carter Balk; two brothers, Gary (Mary) Balk of Minneapolis, and Ken (Julie) Balk of West Union; and one sister, Sue Bentz of Burnsville, Minn. He was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Michael; and two brothers, Lawrence “Junior” and Charles in infancy.