Who is Joseph Battigieg, beloved father of Mayor Pete and professor at Notre Dame?

Pete Battigieg, aka "[Mayor Pete] Pete," has been compared to Barack Obama for his calm and sensitive demeanor. That delicacy and appreciation extends to Battigieg's husband, Chasten Gresman, the couple's adorable dogs, and Battigieg's family in South Bend, Indiana. An only child, Batigieg has always been close to his parents, especially his father, Joseph Batigieg (opens in new tab), a professor at the University of Notre Dame who sadly passed away not long ago.

Senior Battigieg was a well-known and respected professor in the area and a beloved family man. According to his obituary in the South Bend Tribune, his last words were, "It's been a good trip." (Opens in new tab) Upon hearing of his father's passing, Pete, an only child, wrote on Facebook: "Yes. Love you, Dad." [Since announcing his possible run for president, Buttigieg has become an unexpected favorite among donors. (Open in new tab) It is clear that Buttigieg, a senior, has been a major influence on "Mayor Pete," who is now carrying on his father's legacy in South Bend and taking his talents to the national stage this spring.

Professor Battigig (opens in new tab), a.k.a. "JAB" or "Professor B," was born in Malta, came to the United States to earn his PhD, and became a renowned literary critic.

From the beginning of his formal education, he was passionate about academic pursuits and earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Malta. He later earned a doctorate from Binghamton University in New York, but moved to the Southwest when he was offered a teaching position at New Mexico State University. There he met fellow faculty member Jennifer Montgomery, a woman who later became his wife and mother of his son Pete.

The professor began working at Notre Dame in the 80s and remained a professor of English at the prestigious university until 2017, at one point serving as department chair. (Personal note: I never met him, but by the time I went to ND for my undergraduate degree, he had become a legend. Everyone knew and loved him, including non-liberal arts majors.) You can read the school's tribute to him here (opens in new tab).

They often played video games together.

Fellow English professor Sarah Marcus writes about their relationship after Joseph's death (opens in new tab):

In "The Shortest Way Home," Joe was not a lifetime radical, but calmly accepted his son's coming out, portrayed as a bright, caring father who kept the Creedence Clearwater Revival cassette on repeat in his Chevy Cavalier for years and made sure Pete knew how big a deal it was to study with the famous literary scholar Sakvan Berkovich at Harvard University.

It is clear that Joseph and Ann Montgomery were beaming with pride on their wedding day to Pete and Chasten Glezman (just look at that smile).

When Pete appeared on "The View" earlier this month, he recounted an exchange he had with his father. 'I told him I wanted to make my dad proud. He was on a respirator at the time, and I mouthed around it, 'You will.'" (21]

According to a Washington Post (open in new tab) article (open in new tab), the timing was particularly close - Joseph knew about Pete's plans but was not there to watch the campaign. With his father's encouragement, Pete headed to Washington to announce a search committee for the presidential campaign. Four days later, Joe Buttigieg died.

After Joseph died, Pete said he was "left with memories of his powerful intellect, his extensive legacy, his personal warmth, and his deeply felt love for Mom, me, and all those close to him."

"His last words to us were, 'It was a good trip. Yes, it was. I love you, Dad. 0]

He also spoke of his father at a memorial service at Notre Dame. 'It is a little cruel, but I would most likely seek advice from my father in preparation for such an occasion. In retrospect, I often followed my father's suggestions, and they always led me to where I needed and wanted to be.

Pete spoke of his father's illness and the tough decisions he and his family had to make in Joseph's final weeks. It also led to his thoughts on Medicare and access to health care:

He didn't talk about his father as much as his husband, Chasten (open in new tab), but it is clear that his father is still in his heart. His mother, Montgomery, has attended his speeches and events. She says she not only supports her son, but also helps him drown his sorrows over the loss of his husband. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't overheard his career," she says. I would be in agony," she explains. As Pete heads into the primaries, more may be said about his father and the importance of family to him.

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