
(WHS) Rebecca Lynne Batten
1955-03-11 2018-06-20
Rebecca Lynne Maltby Batten, 63, of Suffolk, peacefully left this life on June 20, 2018 and entered into the presence of God. Rebecca passed away at home with her loving husband, Randy Lee Batten and her family by her side. Rebecca was pre-deceased by her father, Kenneth Edward Maltby. Rebecca, "Becky", was the oldest of the four Maltby children, born March 11, 1955 in Lubbock, Texas to (Capt.-USAF)) Kenneth Edward Maltby and Joyce Amy Martin Maltby. In 1963, the Maltby family moved to Newport News, VA when Kenneth was called into active duty, stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, VA. Rebecca grew up in Ivy Farms and attended South Morrison Elementary, Warwick High School, Riverside School of Professional Nursing and Eastern Mennonite College. She enjoyed reading, skiing, working at the RRR summer camp and caring for her patients while an EKG technician and nurse's aide at Riverside Regional Medical Center and The Chesapeake retirement home. To know Becky, especially in her younger years, was to understand the meaning of the phrase, "joie de vivre" (joy of life!) Her friends could always count on Becky to be the first person up for an adventure. Who could awaken the child-like wonder, rescue us from taking ourselves too seriously or help us appreciate the small miracles of life, like Becky? Of all her proudest and most joyful moments, the birth of each of her four children topped them all. Rebecca loved being a mother to Rachael, Michelle, Naomi and Matthew. When illness slowly robbed Rebecca of her health in the prime of her life, we cried with her and mourned the loss of our fun-loving daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. Despite the pain and sadness, we marveled at the way her devoted husband, Randy, lovingly cared for her for many years at home and the supernatural patience she exhibited as she released all that she had and was to Jesus Christ, the lover of her soul. Those she left behind to cherish her memories are: her husband of 38 years, Randy Lee Batten, her daughters: Racheal Batten Edwards and Michelle Batten Cowe, both of Williamsburg, Naomi Batten Graybeal of Arlington, her son, Matthew Batten of Viddeford, Maine, her mother, Joyce Maltby, of Newport News, her brothers: Dwight "Butch" Maltby of Rutherford, NC and Mark Maltby of Greensboro, NC, her sister, Kimberly Maltby Capps, of Newport News, eleven grandchildren and many more family and friends.