Herbert Luke Babin

Herbert Luke Babin, Jr. was born in White Castle, LA on July 25, 1929 to Herbert Luke Babin, Sr. and Mary Supple Babin. The oldest of 5 children, he is survived by Lydia Babin of Plaquemine, Jane Babin Brou of Port Allen, and Jeremiah Babin of Louisville, Kentucky. His other sister Alice Babin Wedemeyer of Lafayette is deceased. Herb leaves his wife of 64 years whom he meet in 5th grade, Rose Marie Olano Babin, 6 children and spouses: Nancy McLemore and her husband Jack of Vidalia, LA; Dr. Charles Babin and his wife Beth of Asheville, NC; Lydia Babin of Jacksonville, FL; Mary Susan Clayton and husband Marc of Asheville; John "Jack" Babin and wife Kathleen of NYC; and, William Babin and his wife Nui of Denver. Herb has 9 grandchildren and 4 greatgrandchildren: Jack McLemore III and his wife Paige and their child, Jack IV; and Scott McLemore and his wife Laura and their children Molly and Natalie; Charles Babin, Jr. and Catherine Babin; Joseph Pall and his son Trent; Nicholas Pall; Matheson Babin and Hugo Babin; and Naleen Babin. Herb graduated from St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis, MS and then attended Springhill College in Mobile, AL. During the Korean War, he joined the Navy to fight for his country, but they sent him to the beautiful Mediterranean Sea where he spent most of his time on an air attack squadron VA105 carrier USS Tarawa and learning to ski in the French Alps. Influenced by his time in the Navy, he attended LSU earning a BS in electrical engineering and a BS in chemistry and also pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Later, he worked on a masters' degree at USC in CA studying electrical engineering. He was a Systems Analyst for Aerospace Corp in CA and Computer Systems Corp in Huntsville, AL, Absecon, NJ and at Silver Springs, MD until he was 65 years old. He retired on August 14, 1994 when Rose and he returned to LA; he coordinated all the construction on their retirement home in Port Allen. He has been a member of the Knights of Columbus, Cajun Clickers, a loyal Republican Party member and volunteer, the Baton Rouge Concert Band, and a member of St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge. He may have been a rocket scientist, but at home his family knew him as an astronomer, a plumber, an electrician, a winemaker, a mushroom farmer, a carpenter, a pianist, a car mechanic and a world traveler. Visitation and funeral will be Saturday, February 20th at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Brusly, LA at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., respectively. A reception will follow at the Supple Company Store in Bayou Goula, LA. On Monday, February 22, there will be a Military interment at Port Hudson Military Cemetery at 10 a.m. Pallbearers will be grandchildren Scott and Jack McLemore, and Joseph and Nicholas Pall and Cate Babin; son-in-law Marc Clayton; and nephews Jeremiah Babin II, and Robert Brou. Special thanks go to Nancy Vandiver Keller, owner and daughter, Fredericka Keller, of Caring Angels for their constant care for the last several years. In lieu of flowers, send donations in Herb's name to Wounded Warriors Project or Shriner's Children's Hospital.