Kelly G. Batey

 05/25/1979 - 05/23/2023

Kelly G. Batey, age 43 of Albany, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Tuesday in Albany, OR.

Kelly was born in Paragould, Arkansas to Norman and Ann (Lewis) Batey.  He grew up in Paragould and graduated from Ridgecrest High School.

Kelly was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Paragould. He excelled at athletics at Ridgecrest, lettering in soccer, baseball, football, and basketball. Kelly graduated college from Williams Baptist College in 2002 where he played soccer and then earned his doctorate from the Southern College of Optometry in 2007. He married wife and fellow Southern College of Optometry student Stephanie Emmert in 2007, and in 2011 they started their optometric practice, River View Family Eyecare, in Albany, Oregon. Kelly was an excellent optometrist who loved his patients very much.

Kelly and Stephanie enjoyed building a life together - lovingly restoring their home, traveling around the world, and spending time with friends, family, and their sweet dogs, Olive and Lucy. In his spare time Kelly enjoyed golfing, watching the Razorbacks play whatever sport they happened to be playing that day and grilling – most notably the massive Friendsgiving Turkey he made each year on his Green Egg. To know Kelly was to love Kelly. He had a gentle spirit and an easy smile. He moved through the world with kindness and compassion, towards both people and animals. These beautiful qualities will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Kelly is survived by wife Stephanie Emmert, sister Leigha Roleson, and parents Ann and Norman Batey.

A visitation will be held on Friday, June 2nd at 1pm. A funeral will be held at Heath Funeral Home in Paragould, Arkansas on Monday, June 5th.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Kelly Batey may be made in support of Uveal Melanoma Research at Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Please donate online to: Jefferson.edu/SupportUvealMelanoma and select the button next to where it says “make your gift a tribute” and write in Kelly Batey.

AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling the arrangements (www.aasum-dufour.com).