Emmett E. Batson

Emmett E. Batson passed away March 20, 2015, 16 days short of his 81st birthday, in Hendersonville, North Carolina, the place he has called home since 2006. Emmett was born April 6, 1934 in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Emmett graduated from Arcadia High School in 1952, and in 1956, he graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a degree in accounting. He then moved to Baton Rouge to attend LSU Law School, where he graduated and received a J.D. degree in 1959. Emmett was a member of the Louisiana Bar Association for more than 50 years and practiced law in Baton Rouge. He was brilliant, with a broad spectrum of knowledge. Emmett had an answer for everything. Friends and clients frequented his law office, which was cluttered from floor to desk with books, documents, and newspapers, for his sage, unfiltered advice. Emmett loved to read throughout his entire life; he read three newspapers every morning and read hundreds of books, including The Bible, which he read start to finish. Emmett was a great friend to the poor, devoting countless hours providing free legal services for those in need. Emmett loved nature preservation and was fascinated by astronomy. He traveled long distances to see solar eclipses take place in different parts of the world. He had a green-thumb for fruit-bearing trees and had great success with the blackberry bushes, fig, Satsuma, grapefruit, and kumquat trees that he planted and grew at his homes in Baton Rouge. Emmett loved to travel and owned over half a dozen airplanes and four motor homes throughout his life. He and his wife, Marian, traveled to every state in the U.S. and to countless countries. Emmett was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and uncle. He was also a loyal friend, and had many deep, abiding friendships. His kindness and generosity will be missed by those friends, and his loving family. Emmett is preceded in death by his parents, Emmett A. Batson and Nassie Alexander Batson, of Bienville Parish. He is survived by his wife, Marian Falcon Batson, who never left his side through his illness; his four children Ed Batson, Andy Batson (Gwyn Brown), and Lea Anne Batson, all of Baton Rouge, and Terri Buch of Greenville, South Carolina; step-daughters, Wanda Flowers of Florida, Linda Flowers Harris (Richard Harris) of Baton Rouge; grandchildren Kristen Buch Warren (Nick), Meghan Buch, and Jennifer Buch, all of Greenville, SC; Mac and Liam Batson, Hannah, Emily, and Michael Hyman, all of Baton Rouge; step-grandchildren Lauren Pace, Chris Harris, and Ray Caruso, Jr; great-grandchildren Sophie Caruso, Aidan Warren, and Abigail Warren; his brother, Jack Batson (Anne Batson) of Shreveport and sister, Ann Walsworth, of Jonesboro; and numerous nieces and nephews. He will be sorely missed by all who loved him. There will be a memorial service on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., Baton Rouge, LA. Visitation is from 10:00 a.m. to noon with services following with service at 12:00. Interment will follow at Resthaven Gardens located at 11817 Jefferson Hwy. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his name to the Juvenile Diabetes Reasearch Foundation, 9457 Brookline Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.