William Batchelder, the former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, died on Saturday, September 12th, at the age of 79. Chad Hawley, the co-founder of The Batchelder Company, where Batchelder served as “Chairman Emeritus,” broke the news of his death.
The late Ohio Republican legislative legend served as the 101st Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2011 until his tenure expired in 2014. Batchelder, called Batch, formerly served as the congressman for Ohio’s 69th District from 2007 until 2014.
Batchelder is survived by his wife, Alice M. Moore, a senior US judge, and their two children. They are said to have a total of seven grandkids.
William Batchelder’s cause of death is unknown as of yet
The reason for Batchelder’s death was kept a secret by his family and acquaintances. The former Ohio House speaker, according to Chad Hawley of the Associated Press, died shortly after his health deteriorated. This might indicate that Batchelder III had underlying medical issues throughout his lifetime.
Condolences rush over William Batchelder’s death
Many tweets paid respect to the late Republican Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives after hearing of his death. In the meanwhile, Ohio Speaker Bob Cupp issued a statement describing his impact on the state as “good and lasting.” He stated, “
“You will be missed, but your legacy’s eternal light will shine on us forever.”
Exploring the legacy of late Ohio representative William Batchelder
In 1964, the 79-year-old Medina native received a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University. Three years later, he graduated from the Ohio State University College of Law with a Juris Doctorate in law.
Following graduation, William Batchelder III served as a state legislator for Ohio while concurrently working as a Judge Advocate General at army headquarters in Georgia. Batchelder served in the Ohio House of Representatives for the 69th district from 1974 to 1998, after being honorably discharged from the service in 1974.
Batchelder served on the Medina County Common Pleas Court as a judge from 1999 until 2005. He was also a judge on the Ninth District Court of Appeals at the time. For almost 31 years, the Medina native worked as a lawyer in the district.
Throughout his long political career, William Batchelder worked as an adjunct professor of law and urban affairs at the University of Akron Law School and Cleveland State University. He returned to teaching law and politics when his stint as an Ohio House speaker ended in 2015.