Jillian Ballent Obituary, Death – Jillian Ballent, of Dighton, Massachusetts, died Friday at home after a lengthy illness. She was the daughter of Dighton’s Bethany (Prescott) Collins and the late William L. Collins. Brady and Samuel Ballent, both Dighton natives, survive her, as does her mother. Her families in Dighton, as well as her aunt Joan in Bristol, Rhode Island, Maureen and Norman Ballent in Dighton, Eric Ballent, her son’s father, in Dighton, and Scott Ballent and his family in Rogers, Alaska, survive her. She belonged to the Ballent family.
Tara Correia, a friend and caregiver to Dighton, is also among those she abandons. These people, along with her favorite dog Tatum, have stood by her side for the past 16 years as she battled Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a degenerative disease similar to Parkinson’s with no known cure. Jillian graduated from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School with honors in 1992. She had previously worked for the Pepsi bottling company in Taunton in human resources for 15 years before becoming disabled and unable to work. Jillian was a devout Christian who attended religious services at the West Dighton Christan Church on a regular basis. She enjoyed music and was a member of the church choir, where she sang solos on occasion.
She was born with dancing feet, just like her maternal grandmother and her youngest son. She had a lot of fun playing games with her family and friends on Thanksgiving, such as high-low jack and cribbage with her mother-in-law. She also liked to watch movies with her children. Jillian attended almost all of her boys’ sporting events and enjoyed watching them compete on the field and court. Her passion for food, particularly baking, included an interest in the kitchen. She continued to search the internet for recipes to prepare in the kitchen with Tara’s help for her friends and family. Jillian was beautiful both inside and out, and her smile could make anyone’s day. Her contagious laugh lasted until God called her home.