Percy Battle; Head Of Police, Firefighter Retirement Board

Percy M. Battle, 82, a former chairman of the D.C. Police and Firemen's Retirement and Relief Board who was also an ardent promoter of Anacostia, died of cardiopulmonary failure March 22 at Washington Hospital Center.

Mr. Battle, who lived in Ward 8 for more than 70 years, was among the civic leaders who urged the city to locate a soccer stadium in Southeast Washington as a catalyst for commercial development.

"While much of the District has experienced unprecedented economic development, Anacostia has been left in the dust," he told The Washington Post in October. "Over the years, we have lost much in the way of everyday services -- restaurants, grocery stores, movie theaters, hardware stores -- the list goes on and on."

He didn't want Anacostia to be considered "the back yard" of Washington, his family said, and to prevent that, he was involved in many political and civic organizations beginning in the 1950s.

Mr. Battle was chairman of the city's police and firefighter retirement board when the public, media and Congress began questioning the high percentage (more than 80 percent) of police and firefighters who retired on disability pensions, which were tax-free. A third of the operating budgets of the police and fire departments in 1978 were spent on pensioners, many of whom were young. After public pressure mounted and new directives came from city officials, Mr. Battle said: "We're seeing it differently. The doctors are getting tougher in their recommendations, and the board is getting tougher."

He retired in 1979 and was appointed to the lottery board by then-Mayor Marion Barry.

Born in Richmond, Mr. Battle moved to Washington as a child. He graduated from Cardozo High School and attended Howard University, Cortez Peters Business College, the University of Hawaii, Southeastern University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Graduate School.

He served in the Navy during World War II and from 1944 to 1946 was stationed at Pearl Harbor. After his discharge, he began his career as a file clerk at the U.S. Civil Service Commission and became a fiscal officer at the State Department. He moved to the city government as an administrator in the personnel office until he was named the first black chairman of the police and fire retirement board.

Founder and first president of the Ward 8 Democrats, Mr. Battle was also vice chairman of the Anacostia school board, treasurer of the Frederick Douglass United Community Center and a member of the Ward 8 Community Council, among his other positions. He was a member of the Anchor Mental Health Association and served on the advisory boards of the Washington Convention Center, RFK Stadium and the D.C. Cable Television Committee.

His household was the first in the city to get cable television in 1986 because of its proximity to the cable system's communication center on Shannon Place SE. When he turned it on, the first image was a commercial for a gospel music album, according to news reports.

Mr. Battle converted to Catholicism in 1950 and was a member and volunteer at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in the District. His long record of service there resulted in his receiving the church's Father Bowman Award.

Mr. Battle was a member of the Elks for 64 years, holding many leadership positions. He bowled in two leagues in his retirement, was a member of the Stonewall Athletic Club, and played with the Anacostia Satellites baseball team, the Anacostia Athletic Club and the Troopers football team. He was special adviser to the D.C. Sunday Football League and commissioner of the D.C. Amateur Softball Association and the D.C. Amateur Football Association. He had held season tickets to Washington Redskins games since 1962 and organized group trips to their away games.

One of his sons, Brian Battle, died in 1987, and another, Gary Mason, died in 2001.

Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Frances Battle of Washington; five children, Arthur "Tony" Mason, Clifton "Bae" Estep, Cynthia Battle and Michael Battle, all of Washington, and Cheryl Holley of Waldorf; 24 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.