Brent Edward Batten

Brent Batten, beloved husband to Michelle, devoted dad to Zach, and retired Naples Daily News columnist who became a trusted and familiar voice in Southwest Florida for more than three decades, died April 8 - He was 66.

If heaven has a golf course and a beer cart waiting, Brent has probably already settled in, a cold Bud Light in hand, Buckeyes on his mind, and maybe tossing a club in frustration, as he was sometimes known to do.

Brent was born Jan. 3, 1960, in Somerset, Ohio, to Carrol and Reva Batten, who named their only child after the doctor who delivered him. He grew up on a farm in the rolling hills of Somerset, where he played on his high school golf team, ran track, and was later inducted into his school’s academic Hall of Fame. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a journalism degree and remained a rabid Buckeyes fan to the end.

Seeking to escape the cold, Brent moved to Naples in 1985 after accepting a job as the police reporter at the Naples Daily News. Early in his career he covered the Steven Benson murder trial, one of the biggest and closely followed cases in Southwest Florida history. He went on to serve in a variety of roles, including City Editor, but was best known as the paper’s columnist, a role he held for 23 years until retiring in 2020. His columns covered everything from local and national politics to the quirks of everyday life in Southwest Florida, delivered with a sharp wit that kept readers coming back.

Brent made a career of telling people what he thought. Among his musings: Bud tasted better than Miller. World Series games started too late. Kids should get the day after Halloween off from school. Dilbert was the funniest comic in the paper. And the questions definitely got easier during Celebrity Jeopardy!

His annual “Year in Review” columns were especially popular, summarizing the past 12 months into witty, sharp and humorous observations. If Brent were writing a review of his own life, it might read something like this:

-“Waited 30 years for Masters tickets. Of course it rained.”

-“Watched countless games. Offered expert analysis from the couch.”

For all his professional accomplishments, Brent’s most cherished role was Dad.

Some of his happiest days were spent with Zach: fishing off Naples Pier, coaching Little League baseball, and traveling together to watch their beloved Ohio State Buckeyes including at the Peach Bowl, the Orange Bowl, and the rivalry game against Michigan. They also shared the ups and many downs of being Cleveland Browns fans.

One of the great highlights of his life was attending the Masters with Zach. After 30 years on a waiting list, Brent’s number finally came up only for COVID and then rain to interfere. He eventually made it to Augusta National, where he watched the greats during a practice round and was able to scatter some of his father’s ashes near the azaleas at the famed 13th hole.

Outside of sports, Brent was an avid reader, often finishing two books a week, and a devoted solver of New York Times crossword puzzles, the harder, the better. Every morning at 11 he watched The Price Is Right, a ritual that amused those who knew he avoided grocery shopping at all costs and likely never filled a cart unless it involved chips and beer for one of his legendary birthday parties back in the day.

His life often mirrored a “Seinfeld” episode, and he quoted the show frequently. When it came to movies, he loved “Animal House” and “Caddyshack,” and his humor reflected that same irreverent, observational style.

Brent passed away peacefully in hospice care after facing cancer with the same grit, humor and resolve that defined the way he lived.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carrol and Reva Batten. He is survived by his wife Michelle and son Zachary and a large circle of extended family and friends who loved him dearly. He also leaves behind countless readers who followed his column for decades, whether they agreed with him or not, who will miss his voice, his wit and his take on life in Southwest Florida.