Dottie Thigpen Mrs. Batten

Dottie Thigpen Batten, 67, of Wilmington, NC and formerly of Wadesboro, NC and Concord, NC, died at home after an extended illness on October 6, 2014 surrounded by her loving family. A Celebration of Life will be 2:00PM Friday, October 10, 2014, at First United Methodist Church in Wadesboro with Rev. Benny Clodfelter officiating and interment following in Anson Memorial Park. Dottie's family will greet friends prior to the services beginning at 1:00PM in the church parlor. Dottie was the daughter of Wilton and Pheatress Thigpen of Fair Bluff, NC. Her father and mother preceded Dottie in death in 2004 and 2013, respectively. Dottie is survived by her devoted husband of 44 years, Robert D. Batten, and a son, Rob Batten. In addition, she is survived by brothers F. Ray Thigpen, MD (Donna) of Whiteville, NC; Wilton A. Thigpen (Lynda) of Wilmington; sister Deborah Thigpen Suttles (Bill) of Fair Bluff; and numerous nephews, nieces, grand-nephews and grand-nieces. Dottie attended public schools in Columbus County, graduating from Fair Bluff High School in 1965. She attended Vardell Hall in Red Springs, NC and graduated from Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics and Biology. She taught Home Economics and Biology throughout the 1970s at Bowman Senior High School in Wadesboro. In the early 1980s, she served as Director of the Anson County Schools Child Nutrition programs. After a family move from Wadesboro in 1984, she was a Supervisor in the Cabarrus and Gaston County Schools Child Nutrition programs and later served as Director of the Child Nutrition programs in the Lincoln County Schools. Dottie was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother and aunt. She loved all things beautiful and excelled at interior decorating, flower gardening, and needlepoint. She was a wonderful cook and her recipes, especially her Christmas ones, have become legendary to the many family members and friends who passed her way. Her Christmas fudge, in particular, was her trademark. She loved cruising to the Caribbean, Alaska and Hawaii with her beloved husband and an array of family members. She always had a special interest in the menus onboard ship, as well as the way and manner in which the food was prepared and served. She loved to dress for the formal nights onboard and relished the opportunity to shake the captain's hand. She also loved to shop in the numerous ports of call she visited. Her son, Rob, was the 'apple of her eye' and she was always quick to talk about him and took pride in showing his picture. Dottie loved her family dearly and enjoyed traveling to her childhood home in Fair Bluff to visit with her Mother, Daddy and siblings. Dottie was a Christian lady who practiced her beliefs in a daily fashion and, until her illness, attended church regularly. She and her family were formerly members of First United Methodist Church in Wadesboro, where she was active in the Enthusiast's Circle and Handbell Choir. Dottie was loved by all who knew her. Her radiant smile and cheerful demeanor lit up the room when she entered, and she was a beautiful lady even in the depths of her illness. She will surely be missed. The family would like to express appreciation to everyone who supported Dottie and her family during her lengthy illness with a special thanks to Dr. Henry Traylor, Jr. and his nurses at Whiteville Medical Associates; the staff of Ardsley Medical Group in Concord; Dr. Michelle Clancy of Hampstead, NC; Jennifer Riker and staff of Adult Day Services in Wilmington; the staff of the Coltrane L.I.F.E. Center in Concord and the wonderful, loving caregivers who assisted the family during her illness. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601-7633 or to First United Methodist Church, 118 E. Morgan Street, Wadesboro, NC 28170.