ARTHUR BATTLE Obituary

BATTLE, Arthur Joseph Of Boston, formerly of Belmont, passed away on January 11th at age 67. He would have been 68 on January 16th. He was predeceased by his parents, Arthur Edward Battle and Josephine Ann (Spinale) Battle. "Arty," as he was known to his family and friends, leaves behind his loving sisters Diane Battle of New York City, Patty Battle of Watertown, and Joanne Battle Collins and her husband Douglas Collins of Holly Springs, North Carolina. He also leaves his nieces Hannah Mutter, Alice Mutter, and Amy Collins, and his nephew Ryan Collins and his wife Natalie. He is fondly remembered by several aunts and many cousins. Arty graduated from Belmont High School where he was a talented athlete and captain of the varsity basketball team. He attended Fitchburg State College where he studied computer programming. While he was a relatively young man, he began to struggle with mental health issues, which impacted him for the rest of his life. In spite of this, he enjoyed watching his nieces and nephew grow up through the years and spending time with his family, until the time when he became homebound. When the pandemic hit in March, Arty shared his tried-and-true tips on how to get groceries and any essentials delivered. Arty had a gift when it came to getting on the phone with friends or family and chatting as if no time had passed. Despite his mental illness, Arty never lost his love of connecting with people. He will be remembered for his gentle and kind presence and for the light chuckles he brought to conversation. A private ceremony and burial will be held by the family due to COVID-19 restrictions. In lieu of flowers and in recognition of his lifelong struggle with mental health, donations can be made in his memory to either the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI) Massachusetts (https://namimass.org/donate/)(The Schrafft's Center, 529 Main Street, Suite 1M17, Boston, MA 02129) or the International OCD Foundation (https://iocdf.org/)(IOCDF, PO Box 961029, Boston, MA 02196). Most of all, the family encourages others to help fight the stigma of mental illness and to exercise compassion towards those who are struggling with mental health. Online guestbook at www.brownandhickey.com.

Published by Boston Globe from Jan. 18 to Jan. 24, 2021.