REV. JAMES LYTLE BABCOCK

CAPE ELIZABETH – Rev. James Lytle Babcock died Nov. 10, 2005, at Piper Shores in Scarborough, after a long period of failing health and following a serious stroke and heart attack which he suffered in June 2005. He was born April 23, 1933, in Natick, Mass., a son of Herbert B. and Constance (Lytle) Babcock. He attended Wellesley, Mass. public schools and was a graduate of Wellesley High School, Class of 1951, following which he attended Bowdoin College, graduating with a bachelor of arts degree as a member of the class of 1955. He was a member of the Bowdoin Glee Club for four years as well as a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. After Bowdoin, he attended Berkeley Divinity School at Yale where he earned a masters degree in Sacred Theology. He was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church in 1958 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Boston, Mass., by the Rt. Rev. Frederic C. Lawrence, Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts, and then in December 1958 was ordained a Priest at The Church of St. Mary of the Harbor, Provincetown, Mass. by the Rt. Rev. Anson Phelps Stokes, Bishop of Massachusetts. He served for two and a half years at St. Mary’s and then was called to be Rector of The Church of the Holy Spirit, Orleans, Massachusetts from 1960-1965 during which time he was a principal founder of St. Christopher’s Church, Chatham, Mass. He was called to be Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Canton, Mass. in 1965 where he remained until 1977. During that time the parish relocated to the foot of the Blue Hill on which location a large new church and parish hall was constructed. Fr. Babcock was elected Rector Emeritus of Trinity Church in 1994 when he returned to preach at the 25th anniversary of the new building. In 1977, he was called to be Rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Cape Elizabeth, where he served for some years until he left parish ministry and entered the life insurance profession. Following that move, he remained a member of the Maine Diocesan Commission on Ministry for some time, serving as its chairman. He earned the dis-tinction of being a member of the Million Dollar Round Table every year he was in the life insurance business, while earning many other professional awards for his perform-ance. His career was spent with Connecticut Mutual Life and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Companies. I-Ie was also a member of the Maine Association of Life Underwrit-ers and the Southern Maine Association of Life Underwrit-ers. He served as an incorpora-tor, member of the Board of Directors and clerk of the corporation of Camp O-At-Ka, East Sebago, which he at-tended as camper and coun-selor for many years in his youth and where he enjoyed the most formative experi-ences and lasting friendships of his life. In his adult life, he vacationed for a number of years at his home in Eastham, Mass., as well as spending many happy seasons with his wife at their summer home, the Hurley cottage in Trenton. He leaves his dearly loved family, his wife, Constance (Hurley) Babcock; his three children, David Bruce Babcock of Waltham, Mass., Bruce An-drew Babcock and his wife, Karina, of South Portland and Jennifer Lisa Babcock of Ban-gor; and his two stepchildren, Bryant Justin Nicholson II and his wife, Diane, of Cape Eliza-beth and Melissa Constance Rosati and her husband, David, of North Reading, Mass. He is also survived by six beautiful granddaughters, Lauren, Shan-non and Megan Nicholson, Kira Babcock and Mia and Ava Rosati. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother, Her-bert; and his sister, Elaine. He is also survived by a sister, Marjorie Stanwood of Wil-liamsburg, Va.; a number of nieces and nephews and his former wife, Nancy P. Babcock of Cape Elizabeth. A Requiem Eucharist will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 14, at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State St., Portland. Calling hours will be 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cot-tage Rd., South Portland. Friends who wish may make contributions in Jim’s memory to Camp O-At-Ka, 593 Sebago Rd., East Sebago, ME 04029 or the Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State St., Portland, ME 04101.