Marion Madison Battley

Services for Marion Madison Battley will be at 11:00AM on Thursday, January 09, 2014 at First Baptist Church Chapel. The Rev. Marty Carnes and Rev. Tom Jacobs will officiate and interment will be in Laurel Hill. Mr. Battley passed peacefully away at Archbold Memorial Hospital on January 06, 2014. Born in Columbus, GA on July 21, 1922, he was the son of Joseph A. Battley and Ethel King Battley. Mr. Battley served 38 months in the military service in World War II, serving in both the 5th and 13th Air Corps in the Pacific Theater. He held three college degrees from Troy University and George Peabody College and did post-graduate work at Tulane University, FSU and University of Florida. He moved from Florida to Cairo, GA in 1952, where he spent 28 years as an elementary school principal at Elpino, Shiver and Southside schools. He was a member at First Baptist Church while in Cairo and held many positions there, among them some ten years as an ordained deacon, church clerk, Sunday School Teacher, Young People’s Superintendent, Youth Council Advisor and with first wife, Reva, as youth leaders. He also helped establish a church recreation program. He loved fishing and telling jokes.
He was a past-president of Cairo Kiwanis club, a charter member and past-president of Thomasville Golden K Kiwanis. Mr. Battley served one year as Kiwanis District Chairman of Boys and Girls work. He was an organizer of Grady Teachers Federal Credit Union and serviced as its First President and board chairman. He was a past member of Georgia Association Elementary School Principles, Professional Association of Georgia Educators, Georgia Education Association, National Education Association, National Association of Elementary School Principles, American Chemical Society, and Kappa Delta Pi Honorary Society. In 1978, he married Lou Weaver Pierson and moved to Thomasville. He was a member of Thomasville First Baptist Church, where he was a member of the church choir for a number of years, and served as a greeter for many years. Survivors include wife Lou Battley; granddaughters Rita Melissa Bullard and Karen Havens, of Milton, FL; Great grandchildren Mark Bullard, Tiffany Bullard and Elizabeth Havens, all of Milton FL; step-daughters Louise Yale of Thomasville, Patricia Tucker of Jesup, GA; step-grandchildren Emma Yale, Pierson Yale and Summer Lairsey all of Thomasville; step-grandchildren LuAnn Poppell and husband Kevin and Amy Edward and husband OJ both of Jesup, GA; step-great grandchildren Maggie and Mallorie Poppell, Alexis Westberry and Austin Edwards; step-great-great granddaughter Emily Westberry; also several nieces and great nieces and great nephews and also Sandy, his poodle. He was preceded in death by his first wife Reva Wynn Battley, daughter Ronda Battley Littlefield; brother Wilburn A. Battley; parents Joseph A. Battley and Ethel King Battley. The family will receive friends from 6PM – 8PM on Wednesday at Allen & Allen Funeral Home Chapel. Guests may sign the online register at www.allenfh.com .