Leland C. Babbitt

April 4, 1931 - May 5, 2014 Leland C. Babbitt passed away May 5, 2014 after battling diabetes. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Lee was born in Nebraska but raised in Idaho. He enjoyed all aspects of the outdoor life. He attended the College of Idaho and UCLA. He entered the Air Force and was stationed in England working on air defense. Throughout his life he was passionate about engineering. He worked for Hughes, Douglas, and North American Aviation where his favorite project was the XB 70A. Later in his career he worked for Bechtel and Flour. He spent several years in both Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. In his most recent career he was a professor in the aircraft department at West Los Angeles College. He retired only because he had to have a six way bypass heart operation. Lee loved UCLA basketball and football. He enjoyed dancing at the American Legion. He attended many theater productions at the Hollywood Bowl, Geffen, and Ahmanson Theaters. His favorite TV show was Bill O'Reilly. Perhaps his most remarkable project was building a 30 ft. motor home from scratch. He also took pride in his Austin Healey race car. He is survived by his wife, Lynne; his daughter, Lelia McCormick, his granddaughter, Genny Meador and his six great-grandchildren, Zander, James Aaron, Jacob, Jeremy, and Ellie. He had two brothers, Cliff and Gene, and two sisters, Gloria and JoJean. His memorial service for the family was held on May 15 at the Riverside National Cemetery. In his memory, donations may be made to Brentwood Presbyterian Church, 12000 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049.