Joseph "Joey" Bateman

Joseph “Joey” Roy Bateman, 77, of Leesburg, Georgia, passed away on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. 

His memorial service will be 11:00 AM Friday, May 3, 2024 at Mathews Funeral Home.  Rev. Chad Ellis and Rev. Roy Cook will officiate. 

Joey was a member of Gillionville Baptist Church where he served as a deacon.  He was also a Gideon and served as secretary and Church Ministry Chairman of the local Albany West Camp. 

Joey was born in Norfolk, Virginia, however he lived in the Albany area most of his life.  He was in the first graduating class of Dougherty High School in 1965 where he was a four-sport letterman.  Joey excelled in football, basketball, baseball and track.  After high school he spent three years serving in the U. S. Army.   There he earned a rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) with time spent at Fort Bragg and overseas in Korea during the Vietnam War.  

Joey graduated from the Albany Junior College where he met his future wife.  He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Georgia Southwestern.  His teaching and coaching career was in the Dougherty County School System.  Known to many as Coach Bateman, he taught and coached during his career at Albany High, Dougherty and Westover High. 

He enjoyed all sports, especially enjoyed watching SEC football.  His hobbies included fishing, playing golf, restoring his old Willys Jeep, working with stained glass and various other projects in his workshop.  He was a man that could fix just about anything. 

Joey was preceded in death by his father, James Andy Bateman and his mother Doris Thomas Bateman.  Survivors include his wife of fifty-three years, Mickie Hayes Bateman, daughter, Kim Cleesattle, son Jim Bateman (Michelle), grandchildren, Josh Bateman, Donald Cleesattle , Zoe Cleesattle, Maddie Bateman and his brother Tom Bateman (Linda) 

In lieu of flowers please consider making memorials in memory of Joey Bateman to the organization that he was most passionate about, The Gideons International, Albany West Camp, P O Box 72341, Albany, GA 31708-2341.