Batey, Robert "Bob" Marshall Obituary

Batey, Robert "Bob" Marshall attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, CA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Batey, Robert "bob" Marshall.

Graduation Year	Class of 1939
Date of Passing	Aug 01, 2011
About	Bob, known as "Mr. Chevrolet" of Elk Grove, charter president of the Rotary Club of Elk Grove, and life long of Elk Grove resident, has passed away at the age of 89. The Batey Brothers business was established in 1919 by his father, Matthew, and his uncle, Robert, and for many years it was the only car dealership in town. Robert Marshall Batey was born on September 27, 1921 to Mathew Lee Batey and Olga Coons Batey at home on Batey Avenue, still occupied by family members. Bob graduated from Elk Grove Grammar and Elk Grove High schools, then attended Sacramento Junior College for two years and San Jose State College for two years. During World War II, he served in the U.S.Army Air Corps from April 1943 to January 1946. He was a member of the ground crew in the 5th and 13th Air Forces, which were B-24 heavy bomber outfits. Following his discharge, he finished college at San Jose State, earning a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. Then he met Olga Popovich from Mountain View, and the two married in 1946. Bob went to work for Batey Brothers, one year as a mechanic and one year as a parts manager. In 1948, he traveled to Detroit to take a Chevrolet dealer training course and he returned as general manager. He spent a year managing his own Chevrolet dealership in Clarksburg, California, but in July 1953, when offered the chance to buy into the family business, he took it, eventually buying out others to take control. Known for his friendliness and smile, his motto was, "Lose a dollar. make a friend." However, his spirit of competitiveness was strong, and he enjoyed competing against other Chevy dealers of his size, winning many trips in the process. Olga noted they were able to travel the world - China, Japan, France, and England to mention a few - thanks to her husbands theory the "being an automobile salesman is like being a doctor. You are on call all hours of the day and night." Bob also found time to pursue civic interests, and served as president of the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce in 1955. it was during his term that the annual Citizen of the Year award was started. In 1962, he was part of a group interested in Founding a Rotary Club, and Olga Batey recalls many meetings at their home organizing the new club. Bob served as the Rotary Club of Elk Grove's first president and later was the recipient of the Paul Harris Award, Rotary's highest honor. Rotarian Jon Colton, the club's first member following the original charter members, spoke enthusiastically about Mr. Batey as a great leader who was "enthusiastic. when I moved back to Elk Grove, he and Olga welcomed me with open arms." Another interest was that of singing, and for many years he was a member of the Helter Skelter Players that put on performances in town. From the players, came a quartet of Mr. Batey, John Draper, John Mahoney, and George Nemetz. Bob also sang in the choir at Elk Grove's Methodist Church as well as serving on the board of trustees. He retired in 1981 and devoted himself to raising vegetables and fishing. But the competitiveness spirit wouldn't die and he found himself raising the biggest and best tomatoes. Bob was proceeded in death by his son Lee, daughter Christine Sarantakis, and sister Nancy Campbell. He is survived by his wife of 65 years Olga, daughter Stephanie and son Robert all of Elk Grove; sisters Etta Thomas of Elk Grove and Florence Russell of Lafayette; son-in-law Geroge Sarantakis and grandchildren Katrina Mitsopoulos and Robert Sarantakis all of the Bay Area; brother-in-law Donal Popovich of Granite Bay and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service was held on Saturday, August 13, 2011 at 10:00am at the Elk Grove Methodist Church, 8986 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove, California. Remembrances may be made to the Alzheimer's Society of Northern California, 2641 Cottage Way, Suite 4, Sacramento, California 95825 or the American Cancer Society, 1765 Challenge Way, Suite 115, Sacramento, California 95815. - Information from the Elk Grove Citizen.