Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5) will introduce a resolution to honor the life and legacy of Armand E. Batastini, Jr. at tonight’s City Council meeting.
Mr. Batastini was a lifelong resident of Providence, he was a baseball and basketball coach, and an active community member of Ward Five, and he sadly passed away on April 11, 2020 at the age of 89.
“The passing of Armand Batastini is heartbreaking to all who knew him,” stated Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan. “He was a mentor and friend who shared freely with me his breadth of experience. I will miss him dearly.”
Mr. Batastini is a true son of Providence. He attended La Salle Academy, Brown University, and later graduated from Providence College as a member of the class of 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. After he graduated college, he dutifully served his Country as a member of the United States Navy. Following his tour, he earned his Masters of Education in Physical Education, Health, and Recreation from Boston University, but he returned home to his beloved Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood.
He served as the Rhode Island State Representative for District 8, which includes the Elmhurst and Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods of Providence, from 1977 to 1992. During his tenure, he served as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Accounts and Claims and the Vice-Chairperson on the Health, Education, and Welfare Committee.
His love of politics and public service did not end nor begin at the State House. Throughout his life, he was very involved in all aspects of his community. Mainly through sports, where he was the founder and later acted as a board member for the Elmhurst Little League for 41 years, and he was a coach of the St. Pius CYO basketball team for 61 years. He touched the lives of thousands of young people who looked up to him not only as their Coach but as a mentor through his dedication to sports and the community that he built.
He worked as the Supervisor of the Johnson & Wales University Recreation Center. He spent the majority of his career as a student support specialist for the Providence School Department for 36 years. Also, he worked as a Supervisor and Director for the Kennedy Recreation Center at the Providence Recreation Department for 25 years.
Majority Leader Ryan continued, “As the Councilwoman for Ward 5, I was lucky enough to work hand in glove with him on behalf of our residents. Not only was he the Chairperson for the Fifth Ward Democratic Committee, but he was also the Vice-Chairperson for the Providence Democratic City Committee and a State Democratic Committee Member for the Fifth Representative District. He lived his life in service to others, and that is why one of the greatest honors of my life was being able to rename the Pleasant View Recreational Center to the ‘Armand E. Batastini, Jr. Recreational Center’ in recognition of his many years of dedicated public service.”
Above all else, Coach Batastini was a devout family man, and he is survived by his loving wife, Mary E. Batastini, their four children, Armando, Maria, Laurie, and Christina, and his five grandchildren, Olivia, Paul, Emilia, Ryanne, and Lucien. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to be made to the Providence Recreation Support Fund. Checks should be made out to Providence Recreation Support Fund – Armand E. Batastini Jr. Recreation Center and mailed to 11 West Drive, Providence, RI 02904.
At the request of Majority Leader Ryan, the City’s Flag above City Hall will be flown at half-staff on Saturday, April 18, in honor of Mr. Batastini’s service to the City he so dearly loved.