Ray W. Babcock

Services to celebrate the life of Ray William “Gump” Babcock, 89, of Mentor, will be at 5 PM on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at Davis-Babcock Funeral Home, 4154 Clark Avenue, Willoughby. The Rev. Larry A. Pozza of ShadeTree Community Church will officiate at the service.

The family will receive friends from 2-5 PM on Saturday, at the funeral home, prior to the service.

Gump passed away on Tuesday, January 8, 2019 surrounded by his family.

Born November 9, 1929 in Willoughby, the only child of Glenn E. and S. Irene (Towne) Babcock, he was a lifelong Mentor resident.

He served several years as deputy sheriff in Lake County and for eight years in United States Naval Reserve and Civil Defense. He was a longtime member of Mentor United Methodist Church, where he served on the Board of Trustees for 45 years, and was named Trustee Emeritus upon his retirement. He had also served as a trustee for the former Mentor Recreation Park before it was deeded over to the City of Mentor and renamed Eleanor B. Garfield Park.

Ray joined the Lubrizol Corporation in Wickliffe, after graduating from Mentor High School in 1947; he retired in 1990, after 43 years of service, as Head of Research Maintenance and had also served as Assistant Chief of the Plant Fire Department in his early career.

Survivors are his beloved wife of 62 years, Jeanne (Wood) Babcock; children, Mitchell W. (Laurel) Babcock, Pamela W. (Allen) Francis and Polly Sue (John) Poppy and grandchildren, Theodore F. Babcock, Corinne V. Babcock, Jocelyn C. Poppy and Jonathan C. Poppy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Glenn and Irene.

Private family burial will be in Fowler’s Mill Cemetery, Munson Township.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses, (CANTER Ohio), 9277 Baldwin Road, Kirtland, OH 44094; Andrews Osborne Academy, 38588 Mentor Avenue, Willoughby, OH 44094 or the Salvation Army, 69 Pearl Street, Painesville, OH 44077.