Albany~
William T. Battin, 91, of Albany, passed away Wednesday, January 30, 2019. William was the son of the Isaac Lucius and Majorie (Onderdonk) Battin. William was the devoted husband to the late Nancy J. Ayers. They were together for 23 years. A first marriage to Patricia (Meyer) Battin ended in divorce in 1974.
William was born August 21, 1927 in Hackensack, NJ. He lived most of his young life in NJ, then received a BA from Swarthmore College in 1950 with a major in Chemistry. He earned a PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1955 majoring in Zoology, with a minor in Physiological Chemistry. He taught at Wesleyan University from 1954 to 1958, Simpson College from Fall 1958 to Spring 1959, and finally Harpur College (now Binghamton University) from Fall 1959 to June 1992. He retired as a Distinguished Professor in Biology and Environmental Studies, having been instrumental in starting the Department of Environmental Studies.
William had many interests including reading a wide range of subjects, studying art, listening to music, attending the opera, gardening, and dining out on a wide range of cuisine.
He is survived by his three children Laura Geradine, Joanna Brigham, and Thomas Battin. He also has four step children Lydia Ayers (Andrew Horner), James Ayers (Micaela Ayers), Sara Ayers (Greg Haymes) and Sarah Ritchie-Crowther (Daniel Crowther) as well as eight grandchildren and --- nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by both his brother, Isaac Lucius Battin, Jr. and his sister Julia Rauch.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to The Nature Conservancy at the
The Nature Conservancy donation form.
A gathering of friends to honor William will be held on Friday, May 24th at 3 PM in Castleton-on-Hudson. For directions, please contact Tom Battin at tmb@thomasbattin.net or 207-990-3715.
To leave a special message for the family, please visit the guestbook below above.