John Francis Babbitt IV

1923 - 2024

Babbitt, John

Jun 24, 1923 - Jul 22, 2024

John Francis Babbitt, IV, an international businessman and entrepreneur, passed July 22, 2024, to be with his Lord and Savior. He was born on June 24, 1923, in Louisville, Kentucky, son of the late John Francis and Dorothy Matthews Babbitt and was known throughout his life as Jack Babbitt.

Babbitt is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Jo Lewis Babbitt of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and three children with his former wife, Helen, who passed away in 1985; Julie and her husband Charles Rolle, John F. Babbitt, V, and his wife Terry and Susan Lybrand; six grandchildren, Steven Lybrand and his wife Mary, John F. Babbitt, VI, Erika and her husband Dan Montell, Ryan Kozlowski, Nicole Swallow, and Sara and her husband Stevin Graham; plus eleven great grandchildren, John F. Babbitt, VII, Ty and Shelby Montell; Olivia, Charles, Emma Lyn, Georgia Rose, Fox, David, Joanna and Sydnie Graham.

Babbitt enrolled at Purdue University in 1942, but before the end of the first semester he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet. After going through extended physical and mental tests, he was classified as a pilot trainee and successfully completed various stages of learning to fly single and twin-engine aircraft. He was commissioned as a pilot with the rank of second lieutenant at Stewart Field, West Point, New York, and completed his flight training as a B-17 bomber pilot. In 1944, he and his nine-man flight crew boarded the Queen Mary, headed for assignment with the 570th Squadron, 390th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force at Framlingham, England. After several missions, Babbitt was selected to be a lead pilot and headed up squadron and group formations bombing German targets. He completed 29 combat missions, plus one humanitarian mission dropping food to the Dutch as the war in Europe wound down. While serving in Europe, Babbitt was awarded 5 Air Medals and a Distinguished Flying Cross and attained the rank of Captain. Following the war, Babbitt remained in the Air Force Reserve and was called up for duty in the Korean War, but could not serve because he was working as an engineer on the hydrogen bomb project.

In 1945, Babbitt was honorably discharged from active duty in the Air Force and again enrolled at Purdue University, where he became a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and graduated with honors as a member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honorary Society in February 1948. He immediately joined The Girdler Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky as a Process Engineer and served in many engineering and marketing capacities. He later joined Chemical Construction Corporation in New York City and moved to Jackson, Mississippi, in 1958. When First Mississippi Corporation was formed, becoming President in 1960; negotiating a long-term natural gas supply contract with Texaco, which was basic to achieving the financing, construction and operation of two large ammonia plants and downstream fertilizer facilities at Donaldsonville, Louisiana.

First Mississippi became very successful with its fertilizer operations, along with plants it built and operated producing basic aromatic chemicals.In 1971 when the company achieved revenues of $100,000,000, he joined The Williams Companies as President and Chief Operating Officer of their fertilizer company, Wilchemco, which later became Agrico Chemical Company. Agrico was phenomenally successful and Babbitt was appointed to the board of Williams with the title of Executive Vice President.

In 1979, Babbitt left Williams to form his own company, Devco International Company. Devco formed several domestic and international companies, which designed and built sulfur processing facilities in Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries; while building, operating and marketing the product from two such plants in California and a third plant in Australia. Devco was also responsible for the marketing of ammonia produced in a plant it financed, built and operated located in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada.

Babbitt sold his engineering and construction company, Devco USA, in 2005, but retained an interest in several other Devco companies. He served on the board of Hillcrest Medical Center for a number of years and was Chairman for two years. He also served on the board of The Master's University and Seminary in California; received an honorary Doctorate Degree in Business from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. He was also very active in the Boy Scouts, serving as Chairman of the local Council for two terms and served on the board of The Little Lighthouse while it was raising funds to build a new facility to educate and train children with special needs.

Babbitt was a devoted Christian. He and his wife, Jo have donated funds for many Christian missions planting churches internationally, supporting local and foreign churches and seminaries graduating indigent pastors. They also supplied the initial funding that made possible the construction of Christ Chapel on the campus of Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. As well as many other related programs and projects where they have tried to be good stewards of the funds God has blessed them with for His Glory.

A memorial service will be held at the Woodland Acres Baptist Church at 10:30 a.m. on July 31, 2024, followed by burial at Floral Haven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, if you are so inclined, please make any donations to The Master's Seminary, Little Lighthouse Tulsa, Hillsdale College, or the charity of your choice.