2019 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 38
BY SENATOR GATTI
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
death of Ralph D. Balentine.
WHEREAS, it is with a profound sense of sorrow and sadness that the citizens and
the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana have learned of the death of Ralph D. Balentine
of Bossier City, Louisiana, at the age of eighty-four years old on Monday, April 8, 2019; and
WHEREAS, Ralph was born on August 8, 1934, in Sterlington, Louisiana, to Mamie
Flanagan Balentine and Samuel Louis Balentine; and
WHEREAS, Ralph Balentine moved to Tioga, Louisiana, as a small child and lived
there until he moved to Bossier City in the mid 1960s; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Balentine left high school prior to graduation to work in the West
Texas oil fields to earn money to assist his parents in the repairing of their family home; and
WHEREAS, upon returning to Tioga, he studied and learned the plumbing trade,
working as a journeyman plumber for many years for a local nursing home; and
WHEREAS, years later he was offered a position as Nursing Home Administrative
Manager of a nursing home located in Pineville, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, he and his family later moved to Bossier City, Louisiana, where he was
instrumental in building and managing Midway Manor Nursing Home, Shreveport Manor
Nursing Home, and Roseview Nursing Center; and
WHEREAS, in Bossier City, Ralph Balentine started Medical Transportation and
Balentine Ambulance Service; and
WHEREAS, he served two terms as president of the Louisiana Nursing Home
Association as well as established the Louisiana Ambulance Association and served as their
president for several years; and
WHEREAS, a pioneer and well known leader in healthcare in Northwest Louisiana,
Ralph Balentine's advocacy efforts locally, as well as statewide have shaped the industry as
we know it today; and
Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 38 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, Ralph Balentine was a devout Christian who loved his Lord and Savior,
loved his church, and his men's Sunday school class; and
WHEREAS, he was also a Gideon, assisting in the distribution of Bibles to all parts
of the world in various languages; and
WHEREAS, Ralph was a loving and devoted husband for thirty-eight years to his
wife, LaVeta Cloud Balentine, a dedicated father to his children and stepchildren, and a
cherished grandfather to his grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and
a caring brother to his sister and many relatives who knew that his family was of the utmost
importance in his life; and
WHEREAS, upon his death, the world lost a unique individual who left an indelible
mark upon the lives of all who knew him; and
WHEREAS, because of his numerous accomplishments in public and private life,
the death of Ralph D. Balentine has left a void in his community and in our state, and has
created a genuine sense of profound sorrow in his friends and family; and
WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities,
and the overall vitality of American society depend, in great measure, upon men like Ralph
D. Balentine.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
acknowledges with gratitude the outstanding service and many accomplishments of Ralph
D. Balentine and extends sincere condolences to his family on the occasion of his death.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of Ralph D. Balentine.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 2 of 2