Ralph S. Batson, 86, of Peotone, passed away Wednesday (Feb. 8, 2017) at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee.

He was born April 10, 1930, in Spencer, the son of Edward and Martha (Nickel) Batson. They preceded him in death.

Ralph was retired from the U.S. Navy as a GMM 1 after 21½ years of service, and then he retired from civil service after 10 tears. He was a member of the Immanuel United Church of Christ in Peotone and a lifetime member of Peotone American Legion Post 392 and the Aptos V.F.W. Post 10100. He was an avid Chicago Cubs fan and enjoyed playing cards.

Surviving are his wife, Rita A. (Harnack) Batson, who he married on Aug. 7, 2005, at Immanuel United Church of Christ in Peotone. He also is survived by a daughter, Linda Batson, of Aptos, Calif.; a son, Mark Batson, of Ben Lomand, Calif.; a nephew, Ronald (Connie) Koehn, of Fulton; and a niece, Barbara Koehn, of Peotone.

Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Fedde-Helfrich-Cross Funeral Home, Peotone. An additional time for visitation will be from 10 a.m. Monday until the 11 a.m. funeral services at Immanuel United Church of Christ, 311 W. Corning Ave., Peotone, with the Rev. Dwight Gorbold and Nancy Wheeler officiating. Interment and military honors will follow in Peotone Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Immanuel United Church of Christ.

Please sign his online guestbook at feddehelfrichcrossfh.com.

(Pd)