Joan Babcock, educator, and beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully at her home in Manhattan on November 24, 2022, with her family at her side. She was 74.
Born in the Bronx on August 16, 1948, she was the middle daughter of Robert and Beatrice Fitzsimmons. She graduated from Aquinas High School before attending SUNY Albany. At Albany, she was an exceptional student, earning undergraduate and multiple graduate degrees in education. There, she met Alan Babcock, the love of her life and husband of 51 years.
Over a 40-year career in education, Mrs. Babcock enriched the lives of countless young people. She started her teaching career in Ardsley, N.Y. When her family moved to Beverly Hills, Calif., she became a junior high school principal at St. Michael’s School in Los Angeles.
After she and her family returned back East to Rye, New York, she worked in the Rye Neck School District for 14 years, 11 of them as principal of Daniel Warren Elementary School. She was highly respected and loved by her peers, students, and parents.
One of her favorite pastimes was jewelry creation. An accomplished designer, she concentrated in silversmithing, cloisonne metalwork, and stain glass design and fabrication.
She was devoted to her three grandsons/She traveled the world with her husband and family, and Lake Como and Paris were two places that held her heart.
“There was no one like Joan,” said her family. “Her heart was full of love, her laugh was infectious, and her strength, faith, kindness, and generosity were unequaled. Her fortitude in the face of devastating adversity and her deep love for her family were an inspiration to all who knew her. Our lives are greatly diminished by her passing.”
In addition to her husband, Alan, she is survived by her children, Ryan and Christine; her three grandsons, Henry, Wesley, and Danny, to whom she was devoted; and her two sisters, Lorraine and Pat.
A celebration of her life will be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 86th Street in Manhattan, on Sunday, January 29 at 3 p.m.
Donations in Joan Babcock’s memory may be made to Sweetwater Art Center, 200 Broad Street, Sewickley, PA 15143.
