Richard (Dick) Andrew Bateman

On Monday, April 20, 2009, Richard (Dick) Andrew Bateman peacefully passed away in his sleep in the comfort of his home surrounded by family.

Richard was born Oct. 31, 1938, in Sunnyside, Wash., to Homer and Ann Bateman. He was the oldest of five children. Richard’s growing up occurred in many places in Washington, California and Arizona as his father chased better job opportunities for his family. Richard left high school early to join the armed forces and would later complete his GED. Richard served in the Navy and Army with some of his time served overseas in Europe, an area he never cared to return to. After his discharge, Richard worked many jobs including a grocery store clerk, a power lineman and Hyster driver loading railroad cars with blocked ice for Othello Ice Company. He also assisted in the building of the ice plant in Grandview shoveling railcars of saw dust into the walls to serve as insulation. On April 23, 1966, He married the love of his life, Glenda Gayle Withers. He eventually settled into his career as a Boiler & Refrigeration Operator and finally a Boiler & Refrigeration supervisor. Nearly his entire career was spent in the frozen vegetable/processed potato industry of Washington and Oregon, starting at Country Gardens in Warden and ending with Carnation/Nestle FoodService Company (now JR Simplot Company) in Othello. This industry allowed him to forge many lifelong friendships. Health issues forced his retirement in 1996. His oldest son Andy (wife Kristi) was born in 1968 and his youngest son Darren (wife Darina) was born in 1970. Darren’s daughter Cassy entertained grandpa with her soccer. Andy’s oldest daughter often impressed Grandpa with her clogging, son Brian shared his Halloween birthday and youngest granddaughter Bethany often slept over and Saturday he watched her ride her “two-wheeled” bike out his window. Richard enjoyed fishing, a cold drink with friends, a coffee with the guys, tinkering in the garage with his  ’65 Chevy Impala SS and his ’65 Chrysler 300 and spending time with family, especially his four grandchildren.

Richard is survived by his wife of nearly 43 years, Glenda Bateman, sons Andy (Kristi) and Darren (Darina) and grandchildren Brittany, Brian, Cassy and Bethany, his brother Jim Bateman (Nancy), sisters Linda Martin (Ken), Sue Remoaldo (Bernie) and Barbara Tolman (Tom), sister-in-laws Jacque Sanders (Sandy), Mikie Withers, brother-in-law Dave Leiker and numerous nieces and nephews, as well as many aunts and uncles and cousins.

Preceding Richard in death were his father and mother (Homer and Ann Bateman) and a sister-in-law Penny Leiker.

A celebration of Richard’s life will be held at Stevens Funeral Chapel in Othello on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at 3 p.m. Interment will follow at Bess Hampton Memorial Gardens.

You are invited to sign the guest book and leave a note for the family at stevensfuneralchapel.com.