Lucille Batts

"There's a long, long trail a-winding,
Into the land of my dreams.
Where the nightingales are singing
And the white moon beams"
- Stoddard King
Lucille Elizabeth Batts of Charlotte, North Carolina passed away on October 8, 2025 after a five-year battle with dementia. Lucille was fondly known by her family as Cille. Lucille was born in Wilson, North Carolina on July 6, 1939 to William Batts, Sr. and Bessie Lee Williams Batts.
Independent, fun-loving, and entrepreneurial, Lucille Batts lived life on her own terms: teaching with passion, driving her stick-shift VW Beetle with confidence, and later building a business that reflected her creativity and spirit.
Lucille was a graduate of Darden High School in Wilson, North Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina and a Masters of Arts from Columbia University in the city of New York. Lucille was a proud member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She was also a member of Alpha Kappa Mu, Pi Lamba Theta and Kappa Delta Phi Honor Societies.
As a longstanding educator, counselor, community activist and business woman, Lucille was strong, proud and tenacious and loved sharing her knowledge in many areas including nutrition. She would tell you, just as you were getting ready to take a bite of your food, if what you were about to digest wasn't good for you.
Lucille worked in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System. She used innovative methods to reach students. She enjoyed helping both young and old which was also seen after retiring from the school system. Lucille's entrepreneurial spirit led her to open her own business, Batts & Associates. At Batts & Associates, Lucille provided copying, faxing and printing services. She sold greeting cards and African-American art work and merchandise. In addition, Lucille provided consultation to clients and continued to assist high school students. Lucille continued to serve her community by serving on the Board of Directors of Neighborhood and Business Associations and she began the process of organizing a Neighborhood Resource Center for the Historic West End of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Lucille enjoyed traveling with her sister, brother-in-law and nieces and she loved hosting family gatherings at her home in Charlotte. Her niece affectionately remembers staying at Lucille's home as a teenager and working for her one summer and the assistance she provided several years later on more than one occasion before the luxury and functionality of directional assistance provided by cell phones. Every time, Lucille told her "I will take you where you need to go.", and she graciously did each time.
One of Lucille's dreams was creating a Self-Improvement Library with an emphasis on African-American literature. Lucille loved sharing her knowledge and helping others. She will be missed by family and friends.
Lucille is survived by her brother William Batts, Jr. of Durham, North Carolina, nieces, a great-niece, cousins and a host of sorority sisters.
Lucille is predeceased by her brother Jimmie Batts and his son, Victor (Lucille's nephew), her sister Thelma Batts Bowens and her husband, Dr. H.C. Bowens (Lucille's brother-in-law) and a sister who died in infancy, Barbara Jean.
Lucille's family will be grieving privately and ask in lieu of flowers that donations be sent in honor of Lucille Elizabeth Batts to the Delta Research and Education Foundation (DREF) established by Delta Sigma Theta, a sorority dedicated to "service, scholarship, sisterhood and social action".
If you wish to make a donation in honor and in memory of Lucille E. Batts, please send a donation to the Delta Research and Education Foundation (DREF) at https://deltafoundation.net/donate/.
Please indicate that the donation is in honor of Lucille E. Batts. When making a donation to DREF (https://deltafoundation.net/donate/):
1. Click on the DONATE TO DREF button.
2. Click on 'General Contributions' under Categories or 'View this category',and follow the prompts.
3. When you get to the checkout page where you must enter your donation information, please enter Lucille E. Batts' name when asked
If you are mailing a check, please write 'In Memory of Lucille E. Batts' on the check and mail the check to:
The Delta Research and Educational Foundation
1703 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20009