John Percy Battiste, 91, of Mattapan, passed away January 25, 2021, at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was born February 14, 1929, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Carrie (Richmond) Battiste and John Percy Battiste. Carrie got remarried to Ellis Johnson, who was a loving dad to all of his children.

He served in the U.S. Armed Forces until 1953. He attended Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama where he met his college sweetheart, Dorothy Mitchell, in 1954. John and Dorothy earned their Bachelor of Science degrees. He and Dorothy married on September 26, 1958 at Dorothy’s family home in North Miami Beach, Florida.

After traveling and living in various parts of the country, the two Tuskegee graduates settled in Massachusetts. John continued to broaden his horizons by becoming a Master Licensed Plumber while working at Polaroid for most of his time in Massachusetts. Later, also while working at Polaroid, he earned his Master of Education degree from Antioch University in Cambridge, MA. He continued to work as a plumber and as he became more successful in his trade, he transitioned into opening his own plumbing business full-time during retirement. As the consummate student, he continued learning and earned his certificate of completion for the Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License on January 28, 2020, of which he was most proud.

John enjoyed fishing, traveling, and listening to jazz music. He also loved people and more importantly, he appreciated a good conversation that would lead to him and the other person exchanging critical ideas about life. A close family friend just passing the Massachusetts Bar Exam was asked about his personal and professional goals. The point of these types of conversations was to expand your thinking. He didn’t care where you ended up, as long as you went through the thought process.

John experienced the journey of life with his lovely wife, family members and life-long friends. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy (Mitchell) Battiste of Mattapan; sister, Celestine Stokes of Los Angeles, CA; brother, Ellis Johnson (Marguerite) of New Orleans, LA; several nieces and nephews; and goddaughter, Tiffany Scott (Kirkland) of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. John was predeceased in death by his parents, Carrie (Richmond) Battiste and John Percy Battiste; stepfather, Ellis Johnson; brother, David Charles Battiste; sisters, Carrie Battiste and Stella Johnson.