As I sat at the kitchen table of his sister, Shelley, it took only minutes to learn two things: Larry was dearly missed 17 years after his death and Chatham had lost an incredible person. He was one of those people I instantly wished I had known but somehow felt like I did. “Every child should have the right to be successful.” This is just one of many things that Larry Babcock believed. 

It was evident in the community support he provided to Chatham and his never ending, “do your best and love what you do” reminder to his four children.

“Larry would never tell you what to do,” says Shelley. “He would give you options and help you see them both. Regardless of the outcome, he was always supportive.”

Raised in a family of 4 children, Larry learned community responsibility from his parents, Win and Ross.  His father worked for Chatham Hydro and his mother stayed at home until Ross’ passing in 1964.  When his dad died, the Chatham Hydro community stepped in to help out. His father Ross had spent countless hours volunteering in the athletic community. 

It was that type of belief that Larry carried on into his own life.  Larry, along with his wife Dot, moved back to Chatham in 1969.  Here they raised their children Alexandra, Whitney, Courtney and Blair.  Together they instilled the importance of giving back to the community with their actions. Larry was a family law and real estate lawyer in Chatham from 1969 until his untimely passing in 2007. While he was practicing law, there were client bills that went unpaid and were never collected. If someone could not pay their bill, Larry knew there was a reason, and offered his service rather than add to their struggle.

Larry was a down to earth, generous person. He often could be seen riding his bike to work. He once received a new bike as a gift and one day it went missing. Larry went back to riding his old bike, believing that person needed his new one more than he did. 

Daughter, Courtney, who is an Olympian and third generation inductee in the Chatham Kent Sports Hall of Fame says of her father, “Our dad was always there with a smile and a hug whether we came in first or last.” 

In 2006, at the age of 66, Larry was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, and he died in October of 2007. After his passing, his family created the Larry Babcock Memorial Fund through the Chatham-Kent Community Foundation. One of the three charities supported by his legacy is Junior Achievement South Western Ontario.  JA’s mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. This aligns with Larry’s belief that every young person should be given an opportunity to be successful in life.   

For more than 15 years, JA South Western Ontario has been able to provide learning experiences to students in Chatham-Kent thanks to the generosity of the Larry Babcock Memorial Fund.  Students learn financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship lessons that will enable them to be successful community and business leaders like Larry. 

Annually, the fund disburses about $1000 to JA. The fund is open so that donations can be made at any time in Larry’s name.   

As JA South Western Ontario launches its Legacy Giving Program, it is our hope that sharing Larry’s story will remind people: 

• Larry was an amazing individual who made such a difference to his community and his family every day 

• Everyone can leave a lasting legacy, either directly through a gift in their will to a charity or indirectly by creating a Memorial Fund, like the Larry Babcock Memorial fund. 

• Any amount can make a difference.  And if not a financial donation, volunteering with JA South Western Ontario can make huge impact on local youth. 

• Do you remember Larry?  Were you one of the people impacted by his generosity or friendship?  Consider a donation to his fund at https://chathamkentcommunityfoundation.ca 

Alexander Hamilton believed that a legacy is planting seeds in a garden you never get to see. The garden that grows in Larry Babcock’s name is beautiful and bright, like the minds of the students that benefit from it. 

 Will you be the next to plant a seed? 

Heather J. Scott, CFRE
Director, Philanthropy
JA South Western Ontario