William C. Battle | Former U.S. envoy, 87

William C. Battle, 87, a John F. Kennedy campaign worker, U.S. ambassador to Australia, and a retired textiles executive, has died.

Mr. Battle died Saturday at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville after suffering a stroke, according to a hospital spokeswoman and Hill & Wood Funeral Service.

He was the son of John S. Battle, who served as Virginia's governor from 1950-54. In 1969, the younger Battle made his own Democratic bid for governor, losing to Linwood Holton, the first Republican governor of Virginia since Reconstruction.

Mr. Battle served in the Navy during World War II and was in the same squadron in the South Pacific as John F. Kennedy. He was awarded the Silver Star for his service.

After Kennedy's election, Mr. Battle was named U.S. ambassador to Australia, a position he held until 1964. - AP