John Batchelder loved animals and children

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, July 30, 2005

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh lost his greatest fan when John Dee Batchelder took his last breath on the Fourth of July.

His daughter said perhaps her father died on the holiday because it was a great day for a Republican to die.

Batchelder, 64, had been ill for more than a decade with diabetes and heart disease, but it rarely slowed him down. He poured heart and soul into his family, his animals and business, Vita Stress Inc., an animal feed supplement company.

No one knew why, but it seemed easier through the decades to name each new dog either Sailor or Bud Dee. One Bud Dee died a few months back, but Sailor and another Bud Dee miss their master at their beautiful log home outside Monroe.

The animal lover was born in Seattle and graduated from Queen Anne High School in 1959. Batchelder played trombone in the high school marching band, served as a lifeguard at Alki Beach and Green Lake, and was past master counselor of the Queen Anne chapter of DeMolay.

Adopted, in his later years he found his three younger biological sisters.

Longtime family friend Marilynn Asbury said Batchelder will be remembered for his passion, integrity, sense of adventure and loyalty.

His passion was animals. He showed a champion Saint Bernard named Sabu. Offered money for the dog, Batchelder declined to ever sell a “friend.” He doted on horses, Julie and Montana, and llamas named Cappuccino, and Baileys and Cream.

“He never cooked, but he could clean,” Asbury said. “Such a clean freak. His kids couldn’t use his bathroom.”

The love of his life was his wife, Janice.

“He would have walked to the moon for Janice,” Asbury said. “He died in her arms.”

Batchelder coached his kids’ youth teams. The family camped, swam and enjoyed recreation property on the Columbia River. He taught his daughter, Lynn, to hunt and shoot. “He taught me how to find solutions to problems,” she said. “He taught me to never give up.”

He also taught her how to drive at age 9.

The thing she didn’t like about her father was that he favored wearing black socks with shorts. A great teaser, his friend Nola Cheff said risque birthday cards were exchanged once a year.

“He was a joy to be around,” Cheff said. “He was just a love.”

Batchelder was preceded in death by his parents, John and Oleta Batchelder; and brother, Forrest Batchelder. He leaves his wife, Janice, of 32 years; children Lynn, Carla, Sean and Taylor; grandchildren Ryan, Casey, Katie, Kaylan and Jordan; sisters Nan Hill, Michelle DuBois, Suzanne Huddleston, Barbara Wilkins, and Oleta Beard; and extended family Melissa Day.

He asked folks to donate to his favorite charities in his name, including Hope for Horses, a group that rescues neglected, abused and abandoned horses. Executive director Jenny Edwards said her group was honored by Batchelder’s request.

“John Dee’s passion for animal nutrition is dear to our hearts, as most of the horses we rescue are severely malnourished, so their nutrition needs are very specialized,” Edwards said.

“This is a wonderful legacy for us, and we plan to honor his memory by naming the next horse we rescue either John Dee or his wife’s name, Janice.”

Batchelder passed along his love of horses on to his 6-year-old granddaughter, Katie-Batchelder-McAlpine.

“Papa taught me to ride horses,” she said through her tears.

Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.