Joseph Louis Babits

When Joseph Louis Babits walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Joseph was and how he impacted those around him. Joseph was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Joseph wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Joseph was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Joseph was born on April 28, 1943 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. He was the son of Joseph and Viola Babits. Joseph was raised in Wallington, New Jersey. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Joseph might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Joseph was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

      Joseph was raised with his older sister, Valerie. Joseph was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Joseph was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Joseph well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

      As a young boy, Joseph was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Joseph was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. He was a Boy Scout. In his spare time he liked collecting stamps and coins. Joseph had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

      During his high school years, Joseph responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Wallington High School in 1961. Joseph was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Joseph absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Joseph, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Joseph a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was Drafting. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Cebulski. In high school he was voted prom king and he was voted most handsome.

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Joseph was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Joseph was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Barry Biss and George Russo. Later in life, his best friends were still Barry Biss and George Russo.

      In 1961 Joseph married Arlene Pleviak at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Wallington, New Jersey. Joseph's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Arlene's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Joseph was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

      Joseph was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Joseph, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Babits home. Joseph's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Joseph was blessed with two daughters, Nancy and Debbie. They were also blessed with four grandcildren, Michael, Lauren, Parker, and Allison.

      Joseph was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was hotel management. He was employed for 40 years in the hospitality industry. Joseph was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Joseph had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Joseph's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

      Joseph was an United States Air Force veteran. He was in communications from 1961-1965. His first 18 months of service were in Ramstein, Germany and then he completed his military service at the Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. Joseph saw action during the Vietnam War. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Senior Airman. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

      Because Joseph loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were stamp collecting, hunting, and bowlings. Joseph had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Joseph's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Joseph derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included bowling and hunting. Joseph was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football and baseball.

      Throughout his life, Joseph was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Joseph seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Joseph usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In high school, Joseph was a member of the Latin club and yearbook staff.

      Joseph was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member St. Michaels Catholic Church for 10 years. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

      Joseph's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Joseph took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included going to Destin, Florida for his and Arlene's 50th wedding anniversary and his trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas with his grandchildren.

      Joseph was a lover of animals and cherished his dog. Dixie, a Bedlington Terrier, was a best friend for 13 years.

      When Joseph's retirement finally came in 2008, Joseph handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Joseph to master. His new life involved relocating to Bedford, Texas. In retirement, he found new pleasure in watching movies on Netflix and spending time with his grandchildren. Even in retirement, Joseph continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

      Joseph Babits passed away on June 7, 2016 at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Grapevine, Texas. He fought a courageous battle against lung cancer. Left to cherish Joseph’s memory are: his beloved wife of 53 years, Arlene; daughters, Nancy Bolin and her husband, David, and Deborah Clayton, and her husband Greg; grandchildren, Michael Hall, Lauren Householder and her husband, Corey, Parker Bolin, and Allison Clayton; sister, Valerie Trabue and her husband, Rex and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Services were held at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home Memorial Chapel in Colleyville, Texas.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Joseph. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Joseph Babits for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Joseph was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.

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Joseph Louis Babits, of Bedford, Texas, went to his heavenly home on June 7, 2016. He was 73 years of age. Joseph was born on April 28, 1943 in Patterson, New Jersey to parents, Joseph and Viola Babits. Joseph proudly served his country after graduating from high school as a member of the United States Air Force. Within the year, he married his high school sweetheart, Arlene. He was stationed in Germany during his years in service and after he was honorably discharged. Joseph began working at the Adolphus Hotel soon after his return home, and dedicated many years to working in Hotel Management. He retired as a hotel manager in 2008, after 40 long years of dedicated service to the hospitality industry. A beloved husband, caring father and grandfather, and friend will be dearly missed by those who were blessed to have known him. He is preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Viola Babits. Left to cherish Joseph’s memory are: his beloved wife of 53 years, Arlene; daughters, Nancy Bolin and her husband, David, and Deborah Clayton, and her husband Greg; grandchildren, Michael Hall, Lauren Householder and her husband, Corey, Parker Bolin, and Allison Clayton; sister, Valerie Trabue and her husband, Rex and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Memorial Donations may be made in Joseph’s honor to the Wounded Warriors Project by visiting: www.woundedwarriorproject.org. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 10:00a.m. at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Chapel . The family will greet friends from 9:15am until the time of the service.