Melton "Mel" Reid Battle

Born April 29, 1934 on his grandparents' farm in Mecklenburg County, he was the son of the late Walter F. Battle, Sr. and Onnie Blackmon Battle. Mel served in the Air Force and furthered his education at the University of Tampa where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1962. He went on to a long and successful career in transportation, specializing in trucking equipment sales. He eventually established his own company, Bulk Transportation Services. Mel retired in 2017 at age 83, and was considered an icon of the industry.

Mel knew how to play as well as work. He loved to travel with Betsy and their dog, Pete, especially on road trips that were made even better by a few sales calls squeezed in along the way. Fly fishing was his sport. What could be more fun than standing for hours in a cold trout stream, coaxing a reluctant rainbow to bite? If he could be lured back on to dry land, Mel also enjoyed walks in the woods. After retirement, he got back to his farm boy roots by taking up gardening with the same passion he brought to everything he did. Most of all, Mel loved to cook with Betsy serving as sous-chef and salad girl. An audacious chef, he explored many cuisines, but had a special fondness for the spicy, down home comfort of Cajun étouffées and gumbos. Family and friends were never disappointed by Mel’s excellent dinners that always included wide-ranging conversation and lots of laughter. Most special of all were the beautifully crafted stories Mel shared about growing up in rural North Carolina during the ‘30s and ‘40s. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Mel is survived by his wife, Elizabeth “Betsy” Anderson, his daughter, Sheri Gordon McAuliffe of Charlotte and his step-daughter, Robin Jane Anderson of Des Moines, Iowa. In addition, there are four grandchildren: Sheri’s daughter, Jessica McAuliffe Melton of Charleston, SC, her two sons, Jason Gordon McAuliffe and Thomas Reid McAuliffe both of Charlotte and Robin’s son, James Robert Alexander of Des Moines. There are also five great-grandchildren: Jessica’s two daughters, Morgan Brooks Melton, and Elizabeth Reid Melton, and her son Brooks Andrew Melton Jr., all of Charleston, SC; and Jason’s two sons, Conner James McAuliffe and Jude Anthony Mcauliffe, both of Charlotte.

Mel was preceded in death by his first wife, Daisy Gordon Battle, his parents, Walter and Onnie Battle, his brother, Walter Battle Jr. and his sister, Nora Battle Karriker.

A service to celebrate Mel’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, January 4, 2019 at Harry and Bryant’s Chapel in the Oaks, 500 Providence Road in Charlotte. The family will receive friends following the service.

For those wishing to send memorial gifts, please consider the University of Tampa (tps://utampa.networkforgood.com); WFAE (Charlotte’s public radio station) and the Nature Conservancy.