Timothy James Savage of Batesville, IN passed away suddenly and peacefully on Saturday, October 18th, 2025, at Margaret Mary Hospital. He was born on May 26th, 1940, in Cincinnati, OH to William and Dorothy (Butler) Savage. He married Bette Ann Mullaney on November 21, 1964, at St. Mary Church – Hyde Park, Cincinnati. He is survived by sons John Mullaney (Pam) Savage of Cincinnati, Timothy William (Rhonda) Savage of Batesville, and Michael Patrick (Jen) Savage of Omaha, Nebraska; grandchildren Nicholas Patrick Savage of Portland, Oregon, Margaret Mullaney Savage of Cincinnati, Anne Katherine Savage of Cincinnati, Leila Eileen Savage of Winter Park, Florida, and Allie Maureen Savage of Batesville. He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, brother Barry Savage and sister Eileen Favret.
Tim grew up in Bond Hill, a suburb of Cincinnati, and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1958, maintaining strong bonds with the school and his classmates throughout his life. He then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Xavier University, where his father was an instructor and a member of the Board of Trustees. After graduating from Xavier, Tim worked for Savage & Company – his father’s advertising agency in Cincinnati. Soon after starting this job, Tim met and married Bette, settled in Cincinnati and welcomed sons John and Tim. In 1969 he and the family moved to Batesville, where he accepted an opportunity to lead the advertising department at Hill-Rom and soon after, his youngest son Mike was born. He spent the remainder of his life in the Batesville community, dedicating 31 years to Hill-Rom before retiring in 1999. Over the course of his career, he held a variety of roles and worked alongside countless colleagues who valued his loyalty and dedication to the company. Known for his tireless work ethic, he often dozed off in front of the television after long evenings and weekends spent on various projects for his job. His yellow legal pads – covered with numbers and notes – were ubiquitous around the house and only he could decipher exactly what all that “chicken scratch” meant.
In addition to work, Tim enjoyed playing golf at Hillcrest Country Club, coaching his boys’ youth soccer teams and working with the Junior Achievement program at Batesville High School. He was also passionate about playing bridge with his partner Dee Renwick and helping to educate local EMTs about epilepsy – a condition with which he was stricken in adolescence. His epilepsy prevented him from driving a car but also gave him an opportunity to overcome a handicap that was misunderstood for much of his early life. He turned his dependence on others for transportation into an opportunity for new conversations and deepening friendships.
Affectionately known as “Big T” to family and friends, Tim enjoyed annual vacations to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head or Panama City, and especially his trip to Ireland with Bette to see their ancestral homeland. After retirement, he enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren who fondly remember his stories, playing Little People and his “squeezer mcgeezer” hugs. These years were filled with new routines and adventures with Bette as they sat in their adjacent recliners “debating” everything from who had the remote control to how some neighbor was related to someone they saw in church last night. The fun continued when they both moved into St. Andrew’s Health Campus where they shared a room until Bette passed away last year. While at St. Andrew’s Tim was famous for his dedication to finishing dozens of jigsaw puzzles and sharing stories with the staff. Tim set puzzle goals and was on target to complete 100 this year.
Due to family travel limitations, services will be slightly delayed. Visitation will be inside St. Louis Church in Batesville on Tuesday, November 25th from 10:30am to Noon. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place immediately following the visitation in the church at Noon. A reception will take place after Mass at the St. Louis Knights of Columbus. Private family graveside services will take place at a later date in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Cincinnati. Memorials may be made to St. Louis School or St. Xavier High School. For online condolences, please go to www.weigelfh.com.