John Nicholas Babich was born on May 30, 1950 to Joe and Dorothy Babich in Kansas City, Kansas. The family moved to Gladstone, Missouri in 1954 where John began first grade in 1956 and attended eight years at St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School. At 9, John began his athletic endeavors with Chemical Sealing, a competitive baseball team that played in tournaments touring the Midwest. He attended St. Pius X High School, lettering in basketball and football and was captain of the football team. He was Junior class president and a member of the National Honor Society. John was nominated by his high school for Outstanding Teenagers in America. He graduated from St. Pius X H.S. in 1968. He attended Sacred Heart College in Wichita, KS for two years, then transferred to Parks Aeronautical College. John was active in Phi Alpha Chi, an aviation fraternity, and quarterbacked the fraternity football team for several years, taking them to the Parks College intramural championship. John relished the fraternity float trips and developed life-long friendships with his fraternity brothers. He graduated in 1972 with a B.S. in Aeronautical Administration. John became a licensed pilot and attempted to become a commercial pilot. His less than perfect vision hampered his commercial pilot dreams. Brian, a fraternity brother, sent John a one-way ticket to California and encouraged him to move to California and create a career on the West Coast. It was there that he met the love of his life, Marilyn, to whom he was married for 38 years until her death this year. John became a stock broker and was elevated to branch manager for several different companies.
John moved back to Kansas City in 2006 and retired from the H&R Block investments department in 2012.
John passed away November 15, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents and wife.
John is survived by brothers Al (Nina) and Jim and sister Donna Stock (Chris) and nieces and nephews: Michael Babich (Erin), Bret Babich, Brittany Caple (Adam), Joseph Niblock and Sarah Schneider (Joseph) and two great nephews (Carter and Hudson) and two great nieces(Baker and Kelsey).
John’s Visitation will be January 4th from 10:00 to 11:00 at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, with Mass following at 11:00.
No flowers please. Donations may be sent to either St. Charles Borromeo or St. Pius X High School. The family would like to thank the compassionate nursing staff in the Intensive Care Unit at North Kansas City Hospital.
