Oct 1, 2025

February 8, 1938 –

September 22, 2025

Palm Beach Gardens

Maurice Thomas Balling, III, affectionately known as Tom, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on Monday, September 22, 2025. He was a beloved member of his community, known for his kindness, generosity, and unwavering dedication to his family and friends.

Born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania on February 8, 1938, Tom was a son of the late Maurice Thomas Balling Jr. and Frances Virginia Gainer.

He attended Uniontown High School and graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1960, where he was a proud member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

Tom served his country in the U.S. Navy as a Flag Lieutenant and Admiral’s Aide, earning the Navy Expeditionary Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and National Defense Medal for his distinguished service during Cuban Operations in 1961. While stationed with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, he met his beloved wife, Francisca, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

After six years of military service, Tom returned to Uniontown to raise his family. He joined the family business, Fairchance Construction Company in Fairchance, PA where he worked for over 30 years. He began working alongside his father and uncles and eventually owned and operated the company with his brother Jim. He was a respected commercial contractor and dedicated much of his career to serving his community through his work. Although Tom retired in 2010, Fairchance Construction Company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 and continues to be a thriving, family-owned enterprise.

Beyond his professional life, Tom was a great athlete. Tom earned his pilot’s license at the age of 16. And he excelled at golf and played throughout his life. He won the Uniontown Country Club Championship when he was 18 and went on to win numerous championships and tournaments nationwide during his life. Notably, at age 87, he had a 6 handicap and recorded a score of 75 in February 2025 at the North Palm Beach Country Club.

A devout Catholic, he served as a Eucharistic Minister at St. Therese Roman Catholic Church in Uniontown, PA, and St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in North Palm Beach, FL.

He is survived by his loving wife, Francisca Torres Rubi Balling of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; his son, Maurice Thomas (Tom) Balling IV of Rehoboth Beach, DE; his sisters, Henrietta (Hener) Mergner of The Villages, Fla., and Frances (Francie) Little of Spartanburg, SC; and his brother, James (Jim) Gainer Balling of Uniontown, PA.

A memorial service will be held at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, 10970 Jack Nicklaus Dr. North Palm Beach, FL 33408 on Friday, October 17, 2025, at 11 a.m.. Additional memorial services are planned for Tom in Uniontown, PA and in Palma de Mallorca, where his ashes will be interred.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the American Red Cross in Tom’s memory: https://americanredcross.donordrive.com/campaigns/In-Memory-of-Maurice-Thomas-Balling