DR. ANDREW BATSIS, HUSBAND! DENTIST! KIWANIAN! SANTA CLAUS? tells the life story of Dr. Batsis, a much-loved New Jersey dentist who passed in 2005. Compiling a transcript from a memorial DVD, personal reflections, tributes from family friends, and a section devoted to Dr. Batsis’s charitable work, the book’s target audience is obviously intended to be those who knew him well. And with a wealth of photographs, amusing anecdotes, and even a selection of favorite family recipes, Katherine Batsis has created a fitting tribute to the accomplishments of her husband while also showing how loved and loving he was. The book closes with a witty epilogue written in verse, in which Dr. Batsis’s life is summarized with obvious warmth, his dentistry covered thus: “As a dentist, light on the touch / Payment – just right in the pouch.”
For more general readers, there is plenty to enjoy in this book, including how Batsis’s Greek heritage proudly informed his life (most notably illuminated by the selection of favorite music cited) and how he received the calling to devote his time and energy to help others through the Kiwanis service club.
For those unaware, the Kiwanis is a volunteer movement founded in Detroit in 1915. With a declared intention of “Serving the Children of the World,” the club’s mission is to “improve the world, one child and one community at a time.” It is guided by the golden rule of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Kiwanian section of the book gives many examples of the good work of Batsis and his fellow club members. Batsis joined the Toms River Kiwanis Club in 1971, inspired by their motto “We build,” which stood for building better communities. Though at the time the club was for males only, Batsis was pushing for equality as early as the mid-1970s: “Kiwanis is not a social club. It is a service club. If the mayor is a woman, she should be invited to a meeting and if willing to do service, be sponsored into Kiwanis.” Overall, this is a fitting celebration of the life of a much-admired man.
Written by his wife, Katherine J. Batsis, DR. ANDREW BATSIS, HUSBAND! DENTIST! KIWANIAN! SANTA CLAUS? is a comprehensive and well-rounded tribute to its subject. For family, friends, and fellow Kiwanians, it is a must-read full of warmth and humor.
~Kent Lane for IndieReader