Granite City—Charles David Batson, 71, passed away at 2:38 p.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at his home.
Born July 3, 1944 in Alton, he was a son of George W. Batson, Sr. and Lillian C. (Beasley) Batson.
He married Rebecca L. Hopkins in Paris, Tenn. on his birthday in 2000. She survives.
Mr. Batson was owner and operator of Charlie Batson, Inc. from 2002-2015. He was in the field of heavy equipment parts sales for over 50 years. A U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, he was a member of Edwardsville American Legion Post #199.
Known to his friends as “Charlie” “Chuck” “Boss” and “Charlos”, Mr. Batson was an avid fisherman and golfer. Known widely for his work ethic, he spent many years in his garage bending wrenches fixing cars for friends or restoring old vehicles. He once bought a 1946 Allis Chalmers tractor “in pieces” and restored it to parade quality and used it to move his boat and ride around the yard. He was famous among friends and family for fish fries and barbecue. Known for his love of baseball he was a die-hard Cardinal’s fan and often said he rooted for two teams – The Cardinals and “whoever” played the Cubs. A pure patriot, he often teared up when he heard “Taps” or the National Anthem. Rather than wait to be drafted, Mr. Batson volunteered his service at 18 years old to serve in VietNam with the Army.
To know Mr. Batson was to have a friend for life. His patience, kindness and generosity were beyond measure. He often said “I had a good life, and I caught a lot of fish.” In later years, Mr. Batson took great pride in his grandchildren and their sports activities.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Carol Denise (Mike) Jones of Aviston, IL; a stepdaughter, Amy (Kirk) Krabbe of Wood River; 5 grandchildren, Chance Jones, Cole Jones, Jordan Crown, Megan Krabbe & Ryan Krabbe; a sister, Donna Dennis of Atlanta, GA, a brother, James (Sharol) Batson of Tulsa, Okla. And their children.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Georgianne Reynolds; and a brother, George W. Batson, Jr.
Visitation will be 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22 at Paynic Home for Funerals, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23 with Steve Lathrop officiating.
Burial with full military honors will be at Upper Alton Cemetery in Alton.
Memorials may be made to the Disabled American Veterans or Hospice of Southern Illinois.
Online guestbook is available at www.paynicfh.com
