Anne Nolan Battiste dies at 69
-Anne Nolan Battiste (nee Anne Therese Nolan) was born February 18, 1948 in Rochester, N.Y. to Robert and Helen Nolan. She graduated from high school in Victor, N.Y. where she played basketball and the clarinet in the school marching band. Anne earned a BS in Psychology in 1976 Psychology and an MS in Recreation Therapy in 1982 from the University of Utah. Her first professional position was held here at Atascadero State Hospital in from 1982-1983.
She returned to Salt Lake City in 1983 and would work professionally in a variety of therapeutic settings in Othello, Wash.; Richland, Wash.; Yakima, Wash.; San Bernardino, and at the state level of policy in Sacramento before returning here to Atascadero and the state hospital. She was certified by national, regional, and state counsels on therapeutic recreation from 1982 until 2006 and was a constant advocate for her profession. In 2007 she transitioned into canine assistance and therapy which she would be devoted to for the rest of her life. Following her retirement in 2014 she worked toward a new MS degree from the University of Wisconsin and the Bergen Canine Institute with a specific emphasis on therapeutic application of canine assistance to wounded veterans.
Those who had the fortune to know Anne remember her as a kind, gregarious soul with compassion for others and a deep and abiding passion for purpose and right. She was a swimmer, a dancer, a runner, and an itinerant outdoors woman. Constantly generous and considerate, she was also passionately committed to advocacy for less represented persons. She affiliated with veterans’ organizations, at-risk youth groups, and social service organizations throughout her life.
Anne passed in dignity on August 20, 2017 while rehabilitating following major surgery and undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She is survived by her son, Timothy Ehrhard, her daughter-in-law Megan, and her grandsons Theo, Noah, and Remy. Her beloved companion Stout, a service dog in training, will continue as an example of her kindness and generosity.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making charitable donations in her name to Canine Companions for Independence (www.cci.org) or Vets-Adopt-Pets (http://vetsadoptpets.org/vetservicedogs.html). Cards or correspondence for condolence can be sent to Captain Timothy Ehrhard, Unit 15708, APO, AP 96205.
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