Alexander Beck Babcock

1933 - 2022

03/18/1933 - 10/18/2022 Alexander Beck Babcock was born on March 18, 1933 at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. The son of Dorothy Beck and Guilford Carlile Babcock, Jr., he was the youngest of four children. Given his birthday's proximity to Saint Patrick's Day and his bright red hair, everyone called him Mike, a nickname he carried throughout his life. All four Babcock children graduated from the ninth grade at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, California, a school that later became paramount to Mike's life and career. Mike's two sisters, Margery and Alida, went on to Westridge School for Girls while he and his older brother, Guil, went to the Webb School in Claremont. Mike graduated in 1951, then embarked on his college career at Princeton, where he was a psychology major. He graduated in 1955 and married Carole Louise Bailey, an artist, on June 18 of the same year. Mike and Carole's wedding was held at Whitehall, Carole's parents' home in Peru, Indiana. They spent the next three years with the Navy, first in Newport, Rhode Island while Mike attended Officer's Candidate School. Graduating second in his class, Mike spent his two years of duty in Jacksonville, Florida. Their eldest son, Michael Alexander Babcock, was born on June 13, 1957, and their daughter, Linda Carole Babcock, on August 29, 1958. Mike and Carole returned to California in 1959, living in Tustin, Pasadena, La Jolla, Pasadena, and Santa Barbara before settling back in Pasadena, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Their sons Scott Carlile Babcock and David Bailey Babcock were born on August 22, 1960 and February 23, 1963, respectively. Mike received his Master of Science in Education from USC in 1961 and began his teaching career at the La Jolla Country Day School. He next taught math at Polytechnic School, spending one year at the Crane School in Santa Barbara as Headmaster before returning to Poly and serving as Director of the Upper School while continuing to teach Mathematics. In 1981, he became Headmaster of the school, a position he held for seventeen years, retiring in 1998. He was hailed at Poly for being a "consummate educator, fundraiser...and all-encompassing head of Polytechnic Schoolall done with warmth and genuine savoir-faire." Education was one of his foremost passions. Whether in the classroom or leading a school, Mike's investment in his students, teachers, and staff was unwavering and inspiring. Beyond Poly, Mike served on the Board of Directors and the Board of Advisors for New Village Girls Academy, the Midland School Board of Directors, and the Pasadena School Board, where he was President for a time. He was a member of the Leadership Advisory Council for the Pasadena Educational Foundation and was one of the founders of the Pasadena Village. In his free time, he loved RV trips to the desert, woodworking, tennis, swimming, watching sports, and playing spirited games of Yahtzee with his family. His wit, humor, and kindness were wonderfully infectious. Beloved by all around him, he passed away surrounded by his children on October 18, 2022. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carole, who he spent 64 loving years with, and is survived by four children, Michael Babcock (Linda), Linda Broker (Kate), Scott Babcock (Donna), and David Babcock (Heidi); eight grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. He was, and is, greatly loved. A celebration of life will be held at the Gamble Gym at Polytechnic School, January 7th at 1PM.