Paul W. Babcock, 79

Paul William Babcock passed away on Feb. 7, 2025, at 79 years old.

His birth, March 15, 1945, in Fall River, Massachusetts, was the beginning of an unusual journey. He was one of four brothers, all of Irish/French-Canadian descent. Once 17, he went to the 38th parallel in South Korea where he served in the Army Corps of Engineers, known as "The Pissing Panthers," from 1962 to 1965.

Known primarily as a certified pipefitter and welder, he possessed several skills for various occupations. At one point, he was part of the crew that repaired the Back to the Future Ride at Universal Studios in Florida, shortly after it had opened. He enjoyed working with machinery.

He was a lifelong Harley-Davidson rider. He raised akitas with strong regard for the Japanese culture that created them. He was the father of three sons and one daughter during his first and second marriages. On Feb. 12, 2000, at the start of the new millennium, Paul married Rosa Morales, a mother of six children and a seamstress from Puerto Rico. Together they bought land in Canterbury, and worked together to clear-cut and shape it, building a house that became their heaven on Earth for the past 25 years.

His lifelong search for inner peace began with Divine Light Mission, the group associated with the teacher Maharaji, a.k.a. Prem Rawat. Paul kept those teachings close to his heart which sustained him through the trials in his life. As an outspoken Democrat, he did not foster a pro-tolerance policy for the world. He much preferred the mutual love and respect for all and any person on this Earth.

It was the Viking wish to die with a sword in hand. Paul's last hour had him behind the wheel of his snowplow, hot coffee in the holder, music blasting, doing what thrilled him. We will miss him.