Ross W. “Ole” Babcock, age 92, passed away of natural causes on January 10, 2018 at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Murrieta, CA.
Ross William was born November 7, 1925 in Flandreau, SD to Everette NC and Emma A (Bennett) Babcock. He attended Liberty Country School in Moody County until the eighth grade and attended Flandreau High School graduating in 1943. Ole flew one of the Babcock family's airplanes back and forth from the Flandreau Airport to Vermillion while attending the University of South Dakota, graduating in 1949 with a B.S. degree Education. He worked in Des Moines, IA setting up a company for Bell and Howell and then moved to Duluth, MN and onto New Orleans, LA working for National Cash Register Co. He then moved to England to work on the exportation of oil from the North Sea for Gulf Oil. Ross married Frieda Paula Kunzie on Nov 24, 1972 in San Diego, CA. They then moved to Menifee, CA where Ross worked for various banks, Canon Company and then finally retiring. Paula passed away July 13, 2016 as a result of a stroke. Despite Ross acquiring polio as a child and being a kidney cancer survivor, his occupations allowed him to do a lot of traveling. Ross was a member of the Masons.
Ross is survived by his three nieces: Roberta "Rob" (Larry) Johnson, Whitewood, SD, Janet (John Van Beek) Babcock, Sioux Falls, SD and Laurie (Kerry) Thomas, Flandreau, SD; one nephew: James (Rita) Babcock, Kenai, AK; nine great nephews and nieces; and 15 great-great nephews and nieces.
Ross was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, three brothers, Charles Donald "Spot", Robert "Buck", infant brother William Everette, infant nephew Charles Dean Babcock, grandparents Charles and Olive (Cheatam) Babcock and William and Junia (Manson) Bennett.
Internment will take place in Des Moines, IA.
