Ike Batalis, formerly of Niles and Dowagiac

Published 8:24 am Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Oct. 17, 1946 — Jan. 23, 2017

Ike G. Batalis, 70, of Bluffton, South Carolina, and formerly of Carmel, Indiana, Noblesville, Indiana, and Niles and Dowagiac, passed away Monday, Jan. 23, 2017.
He was born Oct. 17, 1946, in South Bend, Indiana, to George and Efthalia (Lambrou) Batalis.
On Jan. 18, 1970, he married Sarah E. (Bartle) Batalis, who survives, along with two sons, George C. Batalis (Carla), Tampa, Florida, and Nicholas I. Batalis M.D. (Gretchen), of Charleston, South Carolina, and four grandchildren, Dennis Batalis, Jack Batalis, Ike V. Batalis, and Ella Batalis.
His brother, Chris G. Batalis, and sister Bessie M. Reimnitz predeceased him.
A native of South Bend, Ike was a graduate of Indiana University and the University Of Wisconsin Graduate School Of Banking. He commenced a career in the banking industry with First National Bank of Southwestern Michigan in Niles, rising to become the president and CEO of its affiliate, First National Bank of Cassopolis.
In 1983 he was named president of the former Wainwright Bank in Noblesville. He was the founder of MetroBank (the first de novo chartered bank in Indiana in many decades) in Carmel in 1988, and served as its president until its merger with First Indiana Bank in 2003. Upon his retirement from the banking industry, Ike served Krieg DeVault LLP, Indianapolis, as a financial consultant.
He was a member of the board of directors of numerous organizations, including USA Funds, where he served as chairman from 2013 to 2016, Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center and Healthcare Initiatives Inc. He served the Hamilton County community as a member of the board of trustees of Riverview Hospital for 24 years, retiring as its chairman in 2014, as well as volunteer positions with the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville, and the Chambers of Commerce in Carmel and Noblesville. A community leader in Dowagiac, he served as president of the Lee Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, the Dowagiac Rotary Club and the Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, at Randall Roberts Funeral Home, Westfield Road Location, 1685 Westfield Road, Noblesville. Funeral services will be Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 3500 W. 106th St., Carmel, Indiana, where he was a member for 32 years, with visitation at 10 a.m. and church services at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Southlawn Cemetery in South Bend.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gastric Cancer Foundation, c/o The V Foundation for Cancer Research, 14600 Weston Parkway, Cary, NC 27513. Please notate “Gastric Cancer Foundation in honor of Ike G. Batalis” on the memo line. Condolences may be made at
randallroberts.com.