David Alexander Battin

Died tragically rescuing his family from the wreckage of a destroyed sinking battleship

His Story

In the days after the recent passing of Dr. David Alexander Battin, as family and friends reminisced, it quickly became evident that here was a man who was happy with pretty much everything in his life. What an extraordinary gift.

Born in 1951, the son of "The Colonel" Jim and Mackintosh Battin and the spirited, dearly admired older brother to Margi, David was forever causing trouble but rarely got caught. In the post-war, suburban neighborhood of Monterey Park, David got up to all sorts of youthful hi-jinx like melting streets with exploding rockets and tying his younger sister to a tree. He spent a lot of time at his Jewish best friend's home which, consciously or not, is probably what landed him in the UC Santa Cruz Hebrew class searching for a Jewish wife.

Marcia Schwartz and David were married in Los Angeles, CA in the summer of 1975. True love? Of course. Urgently necessary for Marcia's work visa for the move to Toronto? Absolutely. In Toronto, David attended medical school and seemingly played all sports and (unverifiable) was good at them all! Based on many stories and sources, it seems nearly impossible, that with how much fun he had and how little he studied, he was able to become a doctor. And yet, half of anyone you'll meet between the ages of 20 and 40 in Pasadena was delivered by the good Doctor B.  

David was the proud father of Matthew, Sarah and Rachel (and Mary Beth). Despite unpredictable and long hours at the hospital there is not a single moment he missed in their lives, which is both remarkable and a testament to how much his family mattered to him. He was there at boy scout camp when Matt shaved his head with a Bic razor and did nothing to stop him. He was there to whisk Rachel off the ski slopes with a broken wrist and straight to the emergen-er, his orthopedic friend's kitchen for a late night casting.   Not for lack of his middle of the night racing up the state, he was only almost there for the birth of his first grandchild. This was for the best as Sarah didn't quite know how to tell him he was certainly not allowed in the delivery room. Among the many things that the Battin clan did together, family camp at UC Santa Barbara was a long lasting tradition. For thirteen summers, David took the greatest amount of joy spending a week with his family... rather, David took the greatest amount of joy waving to his children across the cafeteria at meal times after their busy days in groups and his busy days of sailing, wine tasting, and tennis.  

In the over thirty years that David and his family called 1961 La France Ave. home, David was an active member in the community. Long a fixture in the South Pasadena AYSO, David coached, refereed, red carded his children's friends' parents, and consistently followed players down the sidelines yelling, 'Push!' as if they were in labor. He spent twenty-five holiday seasons as a volunteer for the Tournament of Roses. Whether it was selecting marching bands, riding a moped alongside a float down the parade route or just flipping burgers for the hungry marchers at the end, he always found something interesting and entertaining in each assignment and treated them all with the same level of importance. Although not a born member of the tribe, he was an active member in his Jewish congregation. And even after David and Marcia moved to Sacramento, they continued to support the beloved South Pasadena library, traveling down often for Restoration concerts for which David designed the programs.

After a long and prolific career delivering all of the campers his children picked up on their Tom Sawyer Camp bus routes, David supposedly went back to school to start a new career in health management, but everyone knows it was really to gloat over his exemplary report cards in front of his children at the dinner table. The new Blue Shield-9-5-business-David enjoyed weekends off and finding better and faster ways to commute to work. It also allowed him a convenient way to move to Sacramento to pursue a role in his most ardent life passion: sports sideline Grandpa.

For all his many successes and accomplishments in life, he counted all of his true blessings in grand kids. Eight loud, messy, bickering, couch jumping, drink spilling blessings. Sebastian, James, Oliver, Sadie, Noah, Max, Simon and Phoebe. Name a sport, David was on that sideline supporting his grand kids/making friends/saying vaguely offensive things about the opposing children. And why stop at sidelines? David could also be found at out-of-town tournaments buying all the little league moms poolside margaritas. Of course, he knew that none of these eight blessings would be possible without the people chosen and brought into the family. David often remarked upon what good fortune it was for his children to marry such welcome and fitting additions: Matt, Emily and Addison.

In the years after their children left the house and were forced to surrender the family credit card, David and Marcia found a whole new world of travel and an online social travel community. The trips they took and the friends they made were a major focus and highlight of their retirement years. The farther they went, the closer it kept them together. And after their 100th consecutive trip to Italy (the man just loved pasta and wine so much), Marcia even managed to convince him there were more parts of the world worth seeing.

Only very recently David and Marcia celebrated their 50th anniversary on the loveliest of afternoons with family and friends picnicking and drinking wine in the shaded glen of a delta winery. Right now, it is the most bittersweet of memories. Ultimately though, one hopes that one day everyone will recognize it only as a joyful final gift in the life of a man who valued family and friends above all.

Gallery

Memory wall

September 21, 2025

My favorite memory with Papa is Father’s Day 2025 when Papa and my Dad (Matt) and my Brother and Me went to LA for a Dodgers game.The day started with us picking up Papa and driving to the Sacramento airport.By the time we got to the Burbank airport we were all a little hungry so we went to a bagel truck called Yeastie boys that claimed to have “LA styled bagels “. As we ate the bagels we agreed that “LA styled bagels” were just ring shaped bread. After that we went to Griffith Observatory to go to a planetarium show. As we were in line Papa shared with us that when he was in college after school he would go here and how the star projector looked like a huge ant.Later in the show they pulled it out and I whispered to Papa “it really does look like a huge ant”. After the show we went to Tommy’s drive in for lunch and Papa told us about how after college he would also come here and see how many chili burgers he could eat in one serving he said his record was 16 burgers. And then we went to the game and after it even thought I am still not a hardcore fan if someone asked me what my favorite baseball team was I would say the dodgers and one of my biggest regrets is never telling him.

Maxwell Battin

September 21, 2025

My favorite memories of David were at 4th of July in the Tash/Judy court. Every year, we’d set our chairs up in the same formation. After a long day of parading, bbqing and swimming, it was a great way to unwind. David would share wine and exchange quips, witty banter, and pleasantries. He was a fixture at our neighborhood baseball games, soccer games, and basketball games, and of course, at all the Battin/Pinkerton/Morphy. I am so grateful to David and Marcia for gifting me with three of my favorite friends: Rachel, Sarah, and Matt. Our world is brighter, funnier, and more honest because the Battins are in it. May David rest in eternal peace doing all of the things he loves most.

Tricia Riehl

September 2, 2025

Thank you to Matt, Sarah and Rachel for writing such a loving tribute to their father who would have loved the injections of true humor into their prose. What David meant to Marcia, to you three, to his grandchildren and family and friends transcends anything I could write here. He was such a good friend. Positive, generous, fun and so, so unique. He marched to the beat of his own drum and I am so happy I could be a part of that beat from time to time.

There has been a lot of crinkled paper thrown on the floor in the past days trying to write something about David. The hole he left seems, well, insurmountable sometimes. But watching the Liverpool vs Newcastle game last Monday, 16 year old Rio Ngumoha, in his very first Premier League game, kicked a goal in the 100th minute to win the game for Liverpool. It was an extraordinary moment. David would have loved this, I thought - and then I realized, he does love it. He was there, he was with me. He will always be there, watching his grandchildren win their games, sing their songs, grow up, start families of their own. He will always be there when I am watching Liverpool or the World Cup or sitting in an Italian cafe drinking wine while doing my laundry at the laundry place next door, Nothing can erase the immense life force of this amazing person. Nothing. Drink a glass of Pinot Noir for me on September 20 - I will be there in spirit. A hug to all the Battin clan.

Shannon Essa

August 26, 2025

A week into Medical school in 1974, I woke to pounding on - first my door - then my window. As two Americans,
David and I had bonded. My husband Jeff put the covers over his head and said ‘it’s so early, maybe he’ll go away.’ He didn’t know then that David never went away - never abandoned anyone he loved. He was always there for you. He, and later Marcia, were part of Jeff’s and my life forever after. In fact, it’s clear from his obituary that he was actually always ‘there.’ David was truly loved in return, from his floppy blond hair to his bouncing walk!

Catherine Zahn

August 26, 2025

I first met David in June, 1964 at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra. It was the first day of General Science with Mr. Williams. Our first task was to join into lab groups of three. I teamed with Matt and David. As I recall, we did no lasting damage that summer, or the rest of our years together in high school.
When we realized Marcia and David would be living in Toronto, Rhonda and I gave them a toboggan for a wedding gift. In 1976 we visited them in Toronto. Matt was there too. We would see them when we visited in LA, in 1981 with both couples having one year old children. Later we joined Marcia and David for wedding celebrations.
Like Marcia and David we enjoyed traveling to Italy and on their recommendation visited Sienna staying at their recommended hotel. In 2014, we went to the Rose Parade, Rose Bowl and National NCAA football Championship games. I remember David telling how he had recently been drinking coffee early in the morning in a dark kitchen, and a big adult walked by. It had taken him a moment to realize the big adult was his son Matt!
David and I enjoyed participant sports (tennis) and observational sports (LA Dodgers). I would often get a call from David to check if I was at a Dodgers/Nationals game (we were).
IN 1982 I was very sick with cancer. David came out to sit with me as a friend. I now realize a large part of healing is from close personal connections and support. The support from David and many others has contributed to my healing through many illnesses.
Circling back in time, in high school Matt, David and I were discussing which female vocalist was the best. David introduced me to Judy Collins, and I was converted. I do not know which of her songs was his favorite, and her cover of In My Life is not my favorite,. But now as I listen to her sing this song, I am reminded of my connections to David and how I will miss him.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTEBD9WL5AI&list=RDCTEBD9WL5AI&start_radio=1

Edward & Rhonda Friedler

August 25, 2025

Where to begin? I guess when David and Marcia moved to Toronto for Medical school. Paul and I moved there in 1972 I believe. David and Marcia in 1975. We bought our first car there a Volkswagen bug. He didn’t have a radio, but David assured as he could put one in What he didn’t tell us was that not only would we have a radio, but we would have air conditioning all year round with bits of snow blowing through around the radio (whole cut a bit too big). In 1975, Paul and I left for Germany so he could do research for his doctoral dissertation. I returned in April 1976 with our dog, Lena, and Paul stayed in Germany. I returned eight months pregnant with Josh. David and Marcia were my ride or die in those days and the night I went into labor they came to get me at our house. It was a wild ride to the hospital and David‘s old Volvo, as I was in heavy labor and on the floorboard of the front seat of the car David was with me the entire time of my short-lived labor and was with me after delivery. He helped the staff get me settled in my room and was at the hospital every day for the five days I was in the hospital making good on a bet. He lost by bringing me a coffee shake from Baskin-Robbins every day. The night before we left the hospital David also assisted at the doctor with Josh’s circumcision. We joked in those days that we should name Josh Volvo Sanderson. Years later when we were all back in California, we started the family Yosemite trips with Bwana, who we anointed with the name as he always let her family hikes. I won’t get into the hike around the detention basin. We then started the family Shanghai Jen games which carry onto this day there were always questions when David was involved. On a really grateful note, when my father passed away, David told my mom that whatever she needed he would help with.(I will always be grateful to him for that). We had a lot of laughs and tears through the years, but I will always remember the good times that we’ve shared.

Donna Sanderson

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