Joanne Batson

Joanne L Batson A life well lived. If there is a picture in the dictionary, it would be a picture of Joanne. Born in Enid, Oklahoma on March 13, 1928 to George and Elizabeth Leverton, she graduated from the University of Oklahoma and met the love of her life, William R. Batson, in August of 1950. They married May 12, 1951 and were married for 55 years before Bill’s death on January 19, 2007. She was the sparkle in his eye…his dolly do as he lovingly called her….and the rock of his and their four children’s lives. That love was an integral part of both Joanne and Bill and was a gift to all who got to see the two of them together. Theirs is a love story that will only continue for eternity. She was Bats to many of her loving friends. She played a mean game of golf even though she did not take up the game until her early 40’s. But she never did anything half heartedly. So she was good. Darn good. She was a club champion and a life champion. She brought humor and laughter and joy into everything she did. She jokingly asked that her ashes be scattered under a very specific tree on the golf course so that she could kill that dang tree and get rid of it for everyone else who found it in their way! Nature beat her to it and killed that tree for her! When she could no longer play golf she turned to Mah Jongg. Absolutely hated it until she bested it, because she brought that same competitive spirit that made her so special to all that she did. She was the consummate hostess and dressed to the nines every day of her life because that was simply who she was. She was beautiful inside and out. She loved her friends and her neighbors and family fiercely and continuously. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. We are sad but we are grateful and joyful that she was in our lives. She is survived by her children, Joanie Shumate of Long Beach California, Leslie Leeson and husband John of Wagoner Oklahoma, Brad Batson of Dallas, and Lori Raijman and her husband Dr. Isaac of Houston; grandchildren, Kristen Collins and her husband Chris, Whitney Connealy, Tanner Shumate and Melia Shumate; great-grandchildren, Peyton and Jackson Collins; and a sister, Marge Boehme of Houston. In addition there were those who were so incredibly important to Joanne. A special thank you to her doctor and friend Dr. Chanda Dihenia, neighbors Kay and Randy Wall and all the staff at Interim Hospice for all the love and care they all gave to Joanne. Joanne made all of our lives better and richer. There would be a hole with her passing, but she fills it up with her memory. A life truly well lived. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of Joanne Batson to her very favorite group, Meals on Wheels online at http://lubbockmealsonwheels.org/

Joanne Batson

March 13, 1928 - January 9, 2018