He was the son of Eloise Isler Battle and the late Henry Lee Battle Sr. He graduated from Goldsboro High School in 1985 and attended Chowan College and Wayne Community College majoring in graphic arts and business administration. He was employed with the Goldsboro News-Argus.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by five sisters, Patricia Battle of Newark, N.J., Dianne B. McKiver, Debra Battle, Heloise B. Wilkerson and Sharon Battle of Goldsboro; three brothers, Henry L. Battle Jr. and Michael Battle of Goldsboro and Lynwood Robinson of Chapel Hill.