Richard "Ric" W. Batko

Richard "Ric" Walter Batko, age 83, of Cary, North Carolina passed away on Thursday, February 8, 2024. Born on September 8, 1940 in Baltimore, Maryland; he was the son of the late Joseph Walter Batko and Irene Sakowski Batko. A graduate of Baltimore City College, he was a programmer and technical writer for IBM as well as several other companies in the RTP area.

Ric was a generous, loving husband of Patricia “Pat” D. Batko; father to Scott Batko (Charles Walter), Joanna Renee Song, Leslie Payne (Alex) and Aymie Feeney (Gene); grandfather of Evan Richard Song, Alex “Lee” Payne (Macy) and Laura Payne (fiancé Richard Thiel); brother of Frank Eric Batko and JoAnne Reilly (the late Gerald); uncle to Frank Batko, Jr., Steve Long and Jorene Smeltzer (Eric); and a friend to many.

He was supportive of his family’s civic activities and military choices as well as his wife’s community interests and athletic pursuits. He gamely resumed bachelorhood for 7 weeks while his wife went on an extended bicycle trip. Ric had a special place in his heart for young children and animals; they were drawn to him because they sensed they would be safe with him. He pursued knowledge and adventure and enjoyed travel. One of his favorite trips was in a 1975 RV complete with avocado ball fringe at the windows and a door that needed to be duct-taped shut. From shooting with his high school rifle team to teaching his grandchildren gun safety and marksmanship, recreational shooting was one of Ric's passions.

Ric will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 11:00 am in the Chapel of Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary. Family will receive friends following the service at the funeral home and further at the Batko Residence. (A video of the service is able to be seen at https://youtu.be/tAgE-fIOvxg)

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/) or the Cornell Feline Health Center in Ithaca, NY (https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center and select “Lend a Paw” to donate).

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