GERALD LITTLETON BATTE
10/03/1934 - 08/27/2022
Gerald Littleton Batte (Jerry) passed away on Saturday, August 27, 2022. He is survived by his wife Virginia, their children Lauren (Jim Hester) and Clint (fiancé Dorina Vogt), and grandchildren Maia (Sam) Hewitt, Wyatt Hester, Jaden Batte, and Gillian Hester.
Jerry was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on October 3, 1934, the first child of Julia Townsend and Gerald Boyd Batte. The family included younger siblings Jim and Janette, along with beloved grandmother Janette Townsend. A graduate of LSU medical school, Jerry interned in Dallas, TX, at Parkland Memorial Hospital. While in Dallas he met Virginia Wiley who would become his partner in life. After work in Dallas, he served in the U.S. Navy followed by residency at Emory University Medical School. Virginia and Jerry married while he was still at Emory. It was in Atlanta where their first child, Lauren, was born. Son Clinton joined the family in 1969. In late 1968, the family moved to Houston and Jerry established his private practice of psychiatry, a natural course given his early childhood interest in caring for people.
Private practice was the bulk of Jerry’s career, but he also served as the medical director of the first Harris County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Crisis Unit and at the Houston VA Hospital. During his career, he served as Counselor and Secretary-Treasurer of the Houston Psychiatric Society, was a member of the Texas Medical Association and a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Jerry was an active member of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church and its outreach work with two mission trips to Kenya and with Faith in Practice, a growing medical mission group with which he also traveled to Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala numerous times. He helped develop and led for many years the Stephen Ministry program at MDPC and sang tenor in the choir.
In addition to his immediate family, Jerry is survived by brother Jim (Gay) Batte, sister Janette Batte, beloved cousins Katie Hurter of Spring, Nina Hurter and Wayne White of Austin, multiple cousins, nieces, and nephews. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Julia Townsend and Gerald Boyd Batte.
A memorial service and reception honoring Gerald Batte’s life will be held Saturday, September 24, 2022, in the Chapel at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas 77057. Services begin at 11:00 a.m. with a reception immediately following. Livestream viewing is available at, https://mdpc. online.church. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to either Faith in Practice, Stephen Ministries or the charitable organization of your choice.