Deborah Dansby Battle

In lieu of flowers, we request that contributions be made “in honor of Deborah Battle” to support the Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center c/o Office of Gift Records, Emory University, 1762 Clifton Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322. You may also give online at www.bit.ly/BattleMemorial or by calling 404-712-2211.

Deborah Dansby Battle, 63, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, passed away on Sunday, October 23, 2016. Born Deborah Ann Dansby on December 23, 1952 to Vallie Dansby and the late Charlie Dansby in Atlanta Georgia, she is the fourth of seven children: 5 boys and 2 girls. She was preceded in death by her brother Larry. The Dansby family home in the city revealed signs of the family’s rural, west Georgia roots boasting not a simple backyard garden but a full one-acre field behind their home and spacious backyard where Deborah’s parents grew vegetables that fed family, friends, and neighbors alike: an oasis in the middle of the city. Vallie and Charlie (and their combined 16 siblings) raised Deborah and her siblings closely with a host of cousins nearby. Deborah accepted Christ at a young age and became a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Atlanta.

She attended West Fulton High School where she ran track and was a school club queen, a member of student council, Future Homemakers of America, yearbook staff, Beta Club, National Honor Society, Jr. Red Cross, the Ebonnetts, the pep squad, and voted "Most Versatile" by her classmates. Deborah made life-long friends there including Erva-Jean and Rosemary. She graduated as class Salutatorian and received an award for achieving perfect attendance for her entire 4 years of high school. After graduation, she moved to Chicago to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. After a year in Chicago she decided that the city and its weather were not for her. She returned home to Atlanta enrolling at Clark Atlanta University, then known as Clark College.

Deborah got a job working for the Omni as an usher during sporting events and concerts. During an Elvis concert she realized that her flashlight wasn’t working. A friendly male beer tapper offered to lend her a second flashlight that he had. This beer tapper was Hayes Battle. Upon returning the flashlight at the end of the night, Hayes asked Deborah out on a date. They later married in Hayes’ hometown, Forsyth Georgia on January 12, 1974. She was now part of not one, but two large families as Hayes is the oldest of seven siblings.

Later that year while living in Atlanta, Deborah, an avid shopper, was determined not to miss a one-day sale at Macy’s. She was 9 months pregnant and had planned an entire shopping trip that day, with a small indication that she was in labor and with her 9 year-old sister-in-law in tow. She was convinced that she could tackle the shopping trip and make it to a scheduled doctor’s appointment later that day. Of course, the baby had other plans for Deborah and decided to grace the world with her presence, interrupting her shopping experience, and terrifying the 9-year old aunt, Monique. Hayes and Deborah welcomed their first daughter, Lynn (Battle) Green, into the world.

Deborah worked for the IRS, and a year later, she began a career working for the State of Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism in their research Division. The office’s name and physical location within Downtown Atlanta would change many times through the years. Although she took a year off of work to care for their second daughter, Dawn Battle at the end of 1979, her commitment to her career did not waver. Deborah had an incredible work ethic learned from her parents and passed down to her children. She spent long hours at the office and had to often be reminded that it was indeed after hours and time to go home. Among her many professional achievements and accolades she received the State of Georgia Faithful Service Award and the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Service in State Government by then Governor Joe Frank Harris. Deborah retired from the same office, now named the Georgia Department of Economic Development, after 33 total years of service.

During those 33 years and as her girls grew the family moved from Atlanta, to Decatur, and settled in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Deborah and Hayes’ focus was on their girls. Deborah woke the girls every morning, prepared breakfast, got them to school before making her way to work each day. When the girls got into sports, Deborah and Hayes made sure to attend all basketball, soccer, and softball games, track meets, as well as theatrical performances. At times they would have to divide and conquer as the girls’ activities were year-round, taking place all over the metro-area. She was thankful that she and Hayes were able give both girls cars when they reached 16 to allow them to shuttle themselves to practices and rehearsals. They could then enjoy the games, shows, and ceremonies with less stress. Ever the strong supporter she was a booster for many of her daughter's sports and was frequently seen manning the concession stand and planning fundraising and celebratory activities.

Travel was a very important part of her adult life. Hayes’ career and success in sales afforded them the opportunity to travel the world as part of his company’s President’s Club for high achievers. Together they visited London, Paris, Hawaii, Ireland, Mexico, Germany, Switzerland and the Bahamas. Their travels were not limited only to exotic, international locations, but also nearly all of the 50 United States while traveling to follow Dawn’s impressive prep soccer career in premier and Olympic Development leagues, and collegiately in the Southeastern Conference with the University of Alabama. There she joined an even larger family of dedicated parents supporting their children, united on sidelines across the country.

After Lynn graduated from the University of Georgia and began her career, Deborah was able to assist her and her husband Larry with their young family. Jaida and Mason, her beloved grandchildren were born in 2003 and 2005. She and Hayes also opened their now empty nest to young nieces and nephews moving into the city after college to begin their careers. After her retirement in 2009, Deborah was free to enjoy the spoils of her long career. She was able to focus on her loves and hobbies. She was able to bargain shop to her hearts content, an activity she had achieved Olympic-level skill in. She could play with and spoil her grandchildren. She enjoyed time with her large, extended family and friends playing spades, shopping, and taking trips. Deborah maintained both an insurance and a real estate license for many years, although she rarely used them. However she relished the opportunity to assist Dawn with the beginnings of her own career path as a Realtor and helped oversee the renovations on Dawn’s home. She began to take sewing lessons at the local senior center, and loved to regale friends and family with tales of the bargains she was able to secure on everything. Her love of sports went beyond her girls as she was an avid sports fan. She loved her Atlanta sports teams: Braves, Hawks, and Falcons, as well as college football (Go Dawgs, Roll Tide). Although she would often say she was no cook, Deborah was known for her famous breakfasts where she prepared bacon, sausage, grits, rice, eggs, waffles, and cheese toast (in the microwave) to everyone’s own unique desire.

Shortly after retirement, Deborah was afflicted with an early onset of dementia, a disease she valiantly and gracefully fought. As her needs required a level of assistance that the family could no longer provide on their own, the kind staff of Peregrine’s Landing at Holcomb Bridge, a memory care facility, stepped in. They provided an atmosphere that allowed her status to improve to a point that restored a dignified quality of life. While in residence there she departed this life on Sunday, October 23.

Deborah leaves to cherish her memory her devoted husband Hayes Battle, Jr., her mother, Vallie Dansby of Atlanta, Georgia, and mother-in-law Mary Battle of Forsyth, Georgia, two daughters Kwajelyn “Lynn” (Larry, Jr.) Green of Snellville, Georgia and Dawn Battle of Stone Mountain, two grandchildren Jaida and Mason Green, five siblings Charles (Karen) Dansby, Sr., Elroy (Rosa) Dansby, Dwight Dansby, Valda Dansby all of Atlanta, and Rickey Dansby of Bamberg, South Carolina, two brothers-in-law Gregory (Christine) Battle and Nicholas (Yvonne) Battle both of Macon, Georgia, four sisters-in-law Tonya (Carl) Battle-Walker, Monique Battle both of Forsyth, Clarissa “Gigi” Wilson and Shirley (Carlos) Quevedo both of Macon, two aunts Doris (Frank) Birch and Shirley Meadows both of Atlanta and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, co-workers, and friends.

A gathering will be held to lay Deborah to rest, arrangements under the direction of Eternal Hills Funeral Home (3594 Stone Mountain Highway, Snellville, Georgia 30039, 770-972-3155). A public viewing is scheduled for Saturday, October 29 at 11:00 a.m. The service will begin at noon. She will be interred in the adjacent Eternal Hills Memory Gardens immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, we request that contributions be made "in honor of Deborah Battle" to support the Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center c/o Office of Gift Records, Emory University, 1762 Clifton Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322. You may also give online at www.bit.ly/BattleMemorial or by calling 404-712-2211.