Born on December 3, 1936 in New York City, he was predeceased by his beloved parents, Athanase “Thomas” and Thomaida “Norma” (Fatse) Babu and two sisters, Louise (Babu) Talabac and Jennie (Babu) Amadei. He is survived by his adoring sister, Lucy (Babu) Shola of Fairfield, CT and cherished nieces , nephews and cousins from coast to coast.
Victor served in the Korean War as a Medic. He received his BFA in 1960 and MFA in 1963 from Alfred University, Alfred, NY. He taught ceramics at the University of Texas, Austin from 1965-1968. In 1968 he joined the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), Missouri as Professor of Ceramics until his retirement in 2001. It is here that he contributed to establishing a ceramics program that continues to produce leaders in contemporary ceramics. His body of work can be found in the permanent collections of museums across the world. In 2008, 50 years of his careers work was celebrated with the exhibition “Remembering Beauty: The Ceramic Work of Victor Babu”. But perhaps his greatest gift was his genuine care and concern for his students. An excerpt that represents what he meant to them -- “Victor taught me to see, with his own understanding of how art and life intersect, he taught me to look at the world with open eyes and to challenge what I see with an open heart and mind.”
Interment will be private. A celebration of his life will be announced at a date, time and location yet to be determined.
The family would like to thank the entire ceramic community for the outpouring of love in their unending social media commentary.
The family would like to extend eternal thanks and gratitude to the following for their years of extraordinary love, care, compassion, support and friendship to Victor – Cathy Grigsby, Georgette and Jerry Dixon, Mo Dickens, Cary Esser, and Matt Long.
