Frank Batch

On Wednesday, February 19, 2020,  Frank T. Batch, husband and father of two children, passed away at the age of 93. Frank was born on January 30, 1927 in Hart Town - a small town in Pennsylvania, to Charles and Martha (Swick) Batch - both immigrants from the Ukraine who became American citizens. On June 2, 1947, he married Mary Elizabeth Massera. They raised a son - John and a daughter - Dorita. Frank and Mary were members of St. Joseph Catholic Church.  Although Frank was not a dancer, he loved music; he loved playing the harmonica and enjoyed listening to Polka, Big Band and Country music. He cherished his large collection of baseball caps; was a loyal fan of “The Price is Right,” enjoyed anything outdoors but especially he enjoyed working around his home in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Frank served in the United States Army, a WW II veteran. He and his wife moved to Michigan in 1948, where he accepted a job managing a restaurant/bar. He worked hard and made many good friends during those 17-years. He went to school at Grier Technology in Chicago and learned to operate heavy equipment. Afterwards he taught under-privileged kids at Job Corp. - this was Frank’s “dream job.” He loved to teach, not just how to run heavy equipment but also, life experience. He worked at Job Corp for 5 years. Frank, a member of the UAW, retired from General Motors with 25-years of service.

Frank is preceded in death by his father, Charles, and his mother, Martha; by his wife of 69-years, Mary; by his sisters: Mary, Katy, and Annie; and by his brothers: Mike, Pete and John. He is survived by his brother Harry and his children, John (Marcia) Batch and Dorita (John) Pishko.  Visitation will be held Monday from 5 to 8:00 p.m., at the Richard A. Henry Funeral Home, with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Interment with full military honors will be at Fort Custer National Cemetery. Memorials, in Frank’s honor, may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital an organization Frank and Mary both respected. www.henryfuneralhome.org