SAMUEL LAWRENCE BATCHELDER Jr.

BATCHELDER, Samuel Lawrence Jr. Samuel ("Sandy") Lawrence Batchelder, Jr. died on Thursday, August 21, 2025, in a hospice in Lincoln, MA, surrounded by family including Molly, his wife of 58 years. He was 93. Sandy was an attorney, pro bono advisor to nonprofits, and dedicated volunteer. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who found great joy in his family, friends, music, spending time outdoors, and helping others. Born on April 3, 1932, in Boston, MA, to Samuel Lawrence Batchelder and May Read Batchelder, Sandy attended Milton Academy, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School. From 1954 to 1957, he served in the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps. He went on to a 37-year career as a business law partner at Goodwin Proctor, where he specialized in mid-sized, privately held companies. He served on the governing council of the Boston Bar Association and chaired the corporate law committee. At Goodwin Proctor, he also maintained a vibrant pro bono practice helping nonprofits throughout Massachusetts. When he retired in 1997, his colleagues noted that whenever they met someone working at a local nonprofit, that person would inevitably remark "oh, you work at Sandy Batchelder's law firm." His children liked to tease him that he never really retired. For 25 years after his retirement, he served as a volunteer consultant for the Empower Success Corps (previously named the Executive Service Corps). In that role, he advised countless nonprofits on specialty nonprofit governance and strategic planning, often finding himself overcommitted. He was twice board chair of the Mass Bay Region of the American Red Cross, and served as the board chair of the Executive Service Corps. He also served on the boards of several other divisions of the American Red Cross, the Brookline Community Foundation, the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair, and Milton Academy. He was treasurer of the First Church in Chestnut Hill, and vice chair of the Brookline Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations Commission. Sandy loved hiking, skiing, canoeing, playing tennis, and gardening. He enjoyed designing landscapes for his children and occasionally wondered whether he should have been in a landscape architect. As he grew older, he attended weekly yoga classes and liked to surprise his classmates with different "snazzy" socks. He loved to make toys and furniture for family members, or frames for his wife Molly's paintings. He enjoyed cooking meals with locally-grown ingredients and had an inordinate love of ginger. He played the banjo and piano (in his words, poorly) and especially loved traditional jazz tunes. He loved to entertain and bring people together and delighted in his time with his grandchildren. He was a tireless advocate for his grandson Sammy after he had brain injuries resulting from a traumatic birth. This no doubt contributed to Sammy's resilience. He is survived by his wife Molly; his children, John ("Jack") Batchelder and his partner Dana Hawkes, Benjamin ("Ben") Batchelder, Timothy ("Tim") Batchelder and his wife Sarah Batchelder, and Lily Batchelder and her partner Peter Maybarduk; his five grandchildren, Christopher Batchelder, Aisling Batchelder, Samuel Batchelder, Maia Maybarduk, and Maxwell Batchelder; and his great-granddaughter, Nina Batchelder. He was first married to Jane Borden Chermayeff. He was predeceased by his daughter, Anne Batchelder. A Memorial Service for Sandy will be held on Saturday, October 25, at 11:00 AM at the First Church in Chestnut Hill, MA. In lieu of flowers, his family suggests that those wishing to make contributions in Sandy's memory may do so to the American Red Cross, Brookline Community Foundation, or Empower Success Corps.

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