Obituary for
Harvey “Lawrence” Babcock
HARVEY LAWRENCE BABCOCK
JULY 11, 1919 – AUGUST 2, 2018
Lawrence Babcock, late of Estevan, SK passed away on Thursday, August 2, 2018 at the Estevan Regional Nursing Home at the age of 99 years.
Lawrence was born in Froude, Saskatchewan to Sadie and Albert Babcock on the family farm. He came to Estevan and went to ECI for one day, they had him going to two classes at the same time, so he left because no one could be in two places at once, not even him. Lawrence worked for CPR in the office, many times he had to walk to the old airport to get Frank deBoth to come in for work.
Lawrence raised three sons, Harvey, Gary and Brian and daughter Lynn. He studied the art of taxidermy and quite a few people have an item that he stuffed for them and himself. He lived a simple, but good life, he lived on Fifth Street, at Gibby Densley’s on 14th Avenue, Benson and met mom going to singles dances in Bienfait. In the summer he would golf in Portal with real woods for clubs, walked to the Legion every day, winter and summer. Dad bowled and curled in the winter.
He would climb into the Walmart dumpster and fix any broken toys for his grandkids and neighbour kids to play with. When mom and Lawrence moved to Regina, they lived in a basement suite about 6 or 8 steps down. At the end of mom’s life her legs were so bad that he would put her on his back and carry her up the stairs so she could go to dialysis. Lawrence always treated mom with love and respect and her family as well. He moved back to Estevan in 2004 and lived with his new family at Inglis Court.
Lawrence’s eyesight failed him and he gave up driving in 2014. He moved to the nursing home in May of 2018 at the age of 98 years and 10 months old and he seemed to give up. When he left Inglis Court that last day, he waved and said “Goodbye” and said that “This was the beginning of the end.”
He walked into the nursing home with his walker, a few weeks later he fell and was put into a wheel chair. He loved to sit in one of the auto chairs they had in the sun room. One day he fell again and was put into a Broda chair, and became bed ridden a week or so later. He tried to celebrate his 99th birthday at the nursing home but was very tired and missed most of the party. He passed away very peacefully with the wonderful help from all of the nurses, care givers, cleaners and helpers at the nursing home on August 2, 2018.
I told some people that I would know when Lawrence was going to pass away as mom would be in heaven making him his welcome meal (ham and scalloped potatoes) and would burn it, that is why we had such dark smoke colored clouds in the sky on the day he passed away. My dad Ken said you could always tell when mom’s meal was done because the smoke alarm would go off.
I told my niece Dawn Marie when he was gone and she said, “Now he is with Grandma” and then said “But what is Grandpa Ken going to do?”
Thank you to all his family and friends at Inglis Court and the nursing home for their friendship, care and compassion shown to Lawrence and his family. Thank you to Deb at Hall Funeral Services for your help and compassion.
Harvey was predeceased by his parents, Sadie and Albert Babcock; his first wife Frances; second wife Martha; sons, Harvey and Gary; daughter Lynn; siblings, Dorothy, Shirley, Howard, Gordon, Bill and Ron; brothers-in-law, Jack and Dwayne; sister-in-law Annie and Hazel and grandson Warren Cowan.
Left with a lifetime of special memories are Harvey’s son Bryan (Karen); daughter-in-law Kathy; stepdaughters, Lyla (Don) Cowan and Laurilee (Bob) Stendall. Harvey will be missed by sisters-in-law Joyce and Rose; special niece Karen (Don) Anderson, numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, special friend Don Erick and many other friends.
A Private Family Graveside Service will be held at Souris Valley Memorial Gardens.
Donations in memory of Harvey may be made to the Estevan Regional Nursing Home, 1921 Wellock Road, Estevan, SK S4A 2B5.
Deb Heidinger at Hall Funeral Services, Estevan is assisting Harvey’s family.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Harvey “Lawrence
Babcock 1919 2018.source
Death notice for the town of: Estevan, Province: Saskatchewan