Balara, who played as an offensive lineman on the Dartmouth football team, was “sweet, calm and caring with a subtle sense of humor and a love of Legos”.
by The Dartmouth Senior Staff | 03/18/23 9:02 p.m.
Josh Balara ’24, a student from Shavertown, Pennsylvania, died March 16 from an illness, College Dean Scott Brown wrote in an email to the Dartmouth community.
Balara was diagnosed with adrenal cancer in July, according to a fundraiser launched in her name. He was surrounded by family and loved ones when he died, Brown wrote.
At Dartmouth, Balara played as an offensive lineman on the Dartmouth football team and was a member of the Gamma Delta Chi fraternity, according to the Dartmouth Sports website and Brown’s email. On Balara’s football roster page at Dartmouth, he wrote that he attended College Camp before his senior year of high school, played saxophone, and had a “strong interest in technology. “.
“He was known as sweet, calm and caring with a subtle sense of humor and a love of Legos,” Brown wrote. “Josh loved Dartmouth football and his coach described him as committed, selfless and dedicated to his team, teammates and the program.”
Balara graduated from Dallas High School in Pennsylvania, where he played both lacrosse and football, Brown wrote. According to The Dallas Post, Balara was a starting lineman on his high school football team, which played for the 2019 PIAA Class 4A State Championship. All-State Pennsylvania Football Writers Class 4A team, according to the article.
For students, counseling services are available at (603) 646-9442 around the clock and through the Department of Safety and Security at (603) 646-4000 for immediate assistance. Students can call UHelp — a service of UWill, the College’s free teletherapy provider — at (833) 646-1526. Students may also contact the College Chaplain to arrange a confidential pastoral counseling session. The Student Welfare Center and Office of Undergraduate Deans remain resources available to undergraduate students.
According to Brown’s email, additional support services will be available when students return to campus next week.
This article will be updated as more details become available, and a full obituary will be posted in the near future. If you would like to share a memory, please contact [email protected]
