Audrea Balak Obituary

Audrea Jane Balak

May 30, 1934 - July 4, 2025

Las Vegas, Nevada - Audrea Jane Balak passed away peacefully July 4th, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of love and devotion to her family. She was a woman of quiet strength, deep faith, and unwavering love for those closest to her.

Born May 30, 1934, in the mountain air of Poncha Hot Springs, Colorado, she was the daughter of Lon Gately and Lucy Vermilyea. She grew up alongside her sister, Lonnie-Anne Selden, and her half-sisters, Hope Josephine Cox and Clydine Jacqueline Cox. Audrea moved 32 times throughout her childhood, an adventure she embraced with joy. "Home," she once wrote, "was wherever we happened to be at the moment." With her mother's imagination and maps, each move became a journey. She and her sister Lonnie-Anne would decorate their imaginary rooms with magazine cutouts, giddy with anticipation for each new destination. "By the time moving day came," she wrote, "we'd be so excited we could hardly wait to get going." She believed that moving allowed her to see the world in a way most people never could. "Our mother told us how lucky we were that we got to see the world when some people had to stay in the same place all their lives. That made us feel very special."

Audrea was endlessly curious. Her school reports often noted her "bright spirit" and "quick wit." As a teenager, she loved swing music, saddle shoes, and singing harmonies with friends. Audrea was also an accomplished artist, though she often downplayed her own achievements with humility.

In young adulthood, Audrea worked in various roles, always drawn to helping others. She married David Stead in 1952 and had two children, Christopher and Lynda. She traveled with her family, curated her own art gallery called Treehouse Art Gallery, and supported the work of other artists. She was a humble artist, always creating, never seeking praise.

Audrea's life during her first marriage was rooted in a love for nature and a spirit of adventure that she carried into motherhood. Her son remembers how David would declare a "go day," and off they'd go camping, hunting, or deep-sea fishing in Morro Bay. She supported her children's creativity with pride, cultivating their entrepreneurial spirit. Whether securing a patent for her young daughter's board game or driving her son around in her Cadillac as he sold toys to neighborhood kids. She was stylish in her quiet way, favoring comfort and elegance. Her son, remembering her graceful presence, said, "She looked like a movie star." On one occasion, dressed in a yellow day dress at the grand opening of Wonder-World supermarket, she was chosen from the crowd to win a sweepstakes watch. Her grace and glamour stayed with her through every season of early life, from the Treehouse Art Gallery to campouts at Wheeler Peak.

She was educated in both Utah and Nevada and, for many years, worked in the hotel and hospitality industry in Las Vegas. At one point, she worked the front desk at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino, greeting many Classic Hollywood movie stars and singers. She proudly collected autographs from each and every one.

In the late 1980s, she began a new chapter, moving first to Reno, then to Sacramento, where she married Alvin Balak in 1989 and gained a new family. His children and grandchildren became hers without hesitation. "They were mine from the moment we met," she'd say. Richard, Larry, and Sharlene became her own. She doted on Michael, Alvin, and Matthew, Larry's children, and adored Sharlene's children, keeping their art and cards tucked safely away. She spoke proudly of all her grandchildren: Soncee, Scott, and Sean, Lynda's children, and welcomed every visit, every call, every update with deep joy.

Audrea and Al lived many happy years in Sacramento. A lifelong learner, she continued her career as a secretary and remained intellectually curious even into retirement. She found comfort among Al's rose garden and laughter in the everyday. She loved hosting family and holidays, carrying on her childhood tradition of open-door Thanksgivings and warm, bustling Christmases. Holidays were her favorite. "Thanksgiving and Christmas were always special. We opened our home to everyone. We had an open house, and our doors never closed."

Audrea loved gardening, hummingbirds, cooking hearty meals, and collecting bits of joy such as figurines, postcards, and seashells. She read everything from classics to paperbacks and delighted in TV mysteries. Audrea loved life, especially when she was in the air. Flying brought her a joy few things could match, from commercial flights to soaring in hot air balloons with her beloved husband, Al. Travel was her passion, and she fulfilled her dream of visiting Europe, attending the International Balloon Race in 1993, and touring France and Belgium with Al. She was a regular attendee of the Great Reno Balloon Race in 1987, 1989, 1998, and 2001, serving as part of the ground crew and flying the balloon herself.

But of all her roles, none meant more to Audrea than being a mother. She once wrote, "I wanted to be a good mother more than anything else." And she was. A dedicated mother, grandmother, and stepmother, she did everything she could to raise her children with strong character, honesty, and faith in the Lord.

In 2018, Audrea moved to Washington, where she explored the natural beauty of the Coulees and took long drives with family. Adventurous at heart, she continued to travel well into her 80s, often visiting her beloved Pismo Beach, and finally realizing a lifelong dream with a trip to Yosemite in Thanksgiving of 2021.

In her later years, she joined her son Christopher and his wife Sandra in Las Vegas. There, she built a second home not just with them, but with her daughter-in-law's family as well. She and Maria, Sandra's mother, grew close. It was Maria who asked Audrea one day, "Do you want to be Catholic?" Audrea, always faithful in her Christianity, nodded with a firm "yes," knowing she had dutifully served the Lord throughout her life. She could engage in more, and from that moment in 2023, she began her journey into the Catholic Church. She lived her whole life loving the Lord and did her best to raise her children to trust in Him. As quoted from her own journal: "I felt like I had come home, I was back where I belonged in God's arms. I felt close to the Lord again. I was happy."

She became a beloved member of St. Thomas More, where the priests greeted her each Sunday and visited her in times of illness. Even after her stroke in 2020 made speech difficult, Audrea clutched her rosary with reverence, praying bead by bead alongside Christopher and his wife. As quoted by Deacon Dan at her parish:

"Audrea loved her faith and, even though disabled, was always present at Sunday Mass, sitting next to Chris and Sandra. She was a new Catholic herself and chose to accompany her son Chris as he was fully initiated into the church in 2025. Those involved in the OCIA process and the parishioners at St. Thomas More saw her as a faithful follower of Jesus, living her life in accordance with His teachings. We will miss her presence in our community, but know she is with us in spirit."

In her final years, Audrea walked daily with her dog Leeloo, loved audiobooks and classic films, and cherished video calls and visits with her extended family across California and Washington. She remained close to her late sister Lonnie-Anne and her longtime high school friend Patsy, writing letters and sharing memories that stretched back to their earliest days.

Audrea's legacy lives not only in her children and grandchildren but in the quiet acts of love she offered to the world. She gently rescued worms after rainstorms, cooing to the little creatures until they reached safety. She always made time to pet every dog that came to say hello. She believed in the value of every soul and had an endless capacity to include others as family. She was endlessly curious about books, people, and history, and always thoughtful, often moved to tears by small kindnesses. Whether she was mother, stepmother, grandmother, mother-in-law, sister, or friend, Audrea made sure you knew you were loved.

Audrea is survived by her children, Christopher Stead and Cathy Stead; her stepchildren, Larry Balak and Sharlene Ellis; 11 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Alvin Balak; her stepson, Richard Balak; and her sister, Lonnie-Anne. Her family spans Sacramento, San Diego, Las Vegas, Washington, and her beloved Colorado.

Audrea loved deeply, lived fully, and passed on surrounded by love. She had a good life.

Funeral Service: Friday, August 1, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., East Lawn Mortuary.

Officiant: Father O'Brien.

Final Resting Place: East Lawn Sierra Hills Memorial Park, 5757 Greenback Lane, Sacramento, CA, Garden of Honor, Row 23, Space 45.