Ernest Dell Bateman

Dr. Ernest Dell Bateman Jr., an orthodontist, peacefully died at his home on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008, of pancreatic cancer. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., on Monday, Oct. 20, was from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitation at First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until funeral service at 1 p.m. Burial in Greenoaks Memorial Park. Affectionately known as "Bubba," he was born Jan. 28, 1931, in Florence, S.C., to the Rev. Ernest Dell Bateman and Florence Scarborough Bateman. At an early age, he and his family moved to Baton Rouge, where his father served as a Baptist minister. He was a graduate of Istrouma High School, where he excelled in football and track and field. As a delegate of Louisiana Boys State, he was elected to lieutenant governor. He attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches on a football scholarship and was selected for the All-Gulf States team as a running back. He later transferred to LSU, where he joined Lambda Chi fraternity and ROTC. He was selected as a company commander and later was chosen as outstanding ROTC cadet in the nation. After graduating from LSU in 1953, he entered the Dental School of Loyola University. He was president of his dental fraternity, Psi Omega. He was honored when Dr. Albert Schweitzer personally invited him to serve on his staff, but declined in order to fulfill his military commitment. After attending the Medical Service School at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, he was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., where he was stationed with the Special Forces, Rangers and 82nd Airborne. A Sunday school teacher of young people for many years, he was an ordained deacon and served many years as a church trustee and several terms as chairman of trustees. He was a member of the regional committee of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention and was a longtime member of the Jack Rathbone Bible Study. He was a member of the American Dental Association, American Orthodontic Association, Sixth District Dental Association and the Southern Society of Orthodontists. He served for many years on the board of Citizens Savings&Loan and the Foundation Board of Baton Rouge General Medical Center. He also served the Baton Rouge community as a member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Board of Health and was a former president of Edgewater Kiwanis. He was predeceased by his parents and is survived by his wife of 55 years, Sara Boteler Bateman; sister, Joyce Bateman Meredith; three children, Leslie and her husband, Dickie Brennan, Reid Bateman and his wife, Ashley, and Lauren and her husband, Lionel Bailey; six grandchildren, Sara and Richard Brennan, Rebecca Bateman and Barrett, Suzanne and Brent Bailey. Pallbearers will be Lionel Bailey, Barrett Bailey, Reid Bateman, Dr. William Boteler, Richard Brennan Jr., Richard Brennan III, George Brower and Scott Deumite. He lived his life well, serving the Lord with gladness, his country with honor and everyone with love, compassion and humor. He will be greatly missed. The family is grateful to his many and ever expanding group of friends, the Rev. Dr. Gerrit S. Dawson, the Rev. Dr. Dick Gates, the Rev. Dr. George Haile and his numerous doctors and caretakers. Memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 701 North Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70802; Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, 4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809; or Hospice of Baton Rouge, 9063 Siegen Lane, Suite A, Baton Rouge, LA 70810.