Richard Babka

1936 - 2022

Richard 'Rink' Babka, 85 of Lodi, passed away peacefully on January 14 with his beloved life partner, Sharon Garibaldi, by his side.
Born September 23, 1936 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, he was a gifted athlete who attended USC on a football scholarship and graduated with a degree in Business.
Ranked nationally as one of the greatest discus throwers in USC Track & Field history, he was NCAA champion in 1958 and the first known human to throw over 200 ft. He was inducted into the USC Hall of Fame in 2009.
Part of the US Track & Field Medals Sweep in the 1960 Rome Olympics, he is a 4-time world record holder and was inducted into the internationally prestigious World Throwers Congress, as well as Menlo College Hall of Fame, SF Olympic Club Hall of Fame, and many others.
Retiring from competition in 1964, he later owned the Coors Beverage Distributorship in Stockton, CA, where he also raised quarter horses and cattle. He was active in the Young Presidents Organization, served on the Agricultural Association Board, State Parks & Recreation Commission, Ambassador for Athletics in Scandinavia, US Athletic Commissioner, served as Western Business Development agent to the Czech Republic, among many others. He was also an accomplished artist with many paintings on display world-wide with the Art of the Olympians.
He is survived by his sons, Beau, Kord, and Dirk; daughter, Tanja; 8 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
He will be remembered by those who loved him most for his thoughtfulness, positive outlook, love of God, animals, his country and his magnetic personality.