What happened to William Batchelder? Tributes pour in as former Ohio House speaker passes away at 79

On Saturday, September 12, former Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, William Batchelder, passed away at 79. The news of his demise was shared by Chad Hawley, the co-founder of The Batchelder Company, where Batchelder served as the “Chairman Emeritus.”

The late Ohio Republican legislative legend was the 101st Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served from 2011 to 2014 when his term’s limit was reached. Prior to his position, Batchelder, aka Batch, served as the representative for the 69th District of Ohio from 2007 to 2014.

Batchelder is survived by his wife, senior US Judge Alice M. Moore, and their two children. They reportedly have seven grandchildren.

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William Batchelder’s cause of death is unknown as of yet

His family and associates did not release the cause behind Batchelder’s demise. However, Chad Hawley told the Associated Press that the former Ohio House speaker passed away shortly after declining his health. This hints at some underlying medical conditions that Batchelder III had in his lifetime.

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Condolences rush over William Batchelder’s death

Following news of his demise, many tweets paid tribute to the late Republican Speaker for Ohio’s House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the current Ohio Speaker Bob Cupp shared a statement that referred to his contribution to the state as “positive and lasting.” He said:

“You will be missed – but the enduring light of your legacy will shine on us always.”

Meanwhile, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Batchelder was “a classic conservative whose guiding principle was freedom.”

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Exploring the legacy of late Ohio representative William Batchelder

The late 79-year-old Medina native graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a bachelor’s degree in 1964. He also received a Juris Doctorate in law three years later from the Ohio State University College of law.

Following his graduation, William Batchelder III became a state representative for Ohio while also serving in the office of the Judge Advocate General at the army headquarters in Georgia. After being honorably discharged from the army in 1974, Batchelder served as representative for the 69th district in the Ohio House of Reps till 1998.

From 1999 to 2005, Batchelder was a judge for the Medina County Common Pleas Court. At the same time, he served as a judge on the Ninth District Court of Appeals. The Medina native served as a lawyer in the district for over 31 years.

William Batchelder was also associated with the University of Akron Law School and the Cleveland State University as an adjunct professor of law and urban affairs throughout his extensive political career. Following the end of his term as Ohio House speaker in 2015, he returned to teaching law and politics.