Steven W Babcock

MADISON - Steven William Babcock passed away peacefully at home with his family on June 17, 2023, after a seven-year illness that began with a brain abscess. He was born in Bellefonte, Pa., to MacLean M. and Fernelle (Allen) Babcock, the youngest of three sons. His older brothers named him after a recently deceased distant famous relative, Professor Stephen M. Babcock of the University of Wisconsin. He grew up as almost an “only child” in State College, Pa., where his father was a professor at Pennsylvania State University. He enjoyed camping, spelunking, swimming, and other outdoor activities. He started his Boy Scout career as a Cub Scout and progressed to Eagle Scout. With his parents he traveled every summer to the small town of Saugatuck on the west shore of Lake Michigan where his parents’ families had been in the hospitality business for years.

Steven’s interest in medicine developed from a job he held in high school where part of his duties included repairing radios. The concept of diagnosing a problem and fixing it led him to realize that this could be applied to people and their illnesses. He graduated from State College High School (1950) and received his B.S. from Penn State (1955) and his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (1959). He met the love of his life, Karlee “Kay” Buhman in the summer of 1952 and they were married in 1956. They moved to Madison in 1959 for his internship and residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital where he was Chief Resident in Internal Medicine. After his residency he did a two-year fellowship in the Medical Physics lab of Dr. John Cameron. He remained at the University of Wisconsin, splitting his time between the Department of Medicine and the University Student Health Service, where he became Associate Director and shepherded their move from the Wisconsin General Hospital to 1552 University Ave. His outside medical activities included accreditation surveys of university health services across the country. He also was the chair of the Utilization Review Committee of the Dane County Medical Society. He took early retirement from the UW in 1990 but was immediately rehired at 20% time for another six years. The other 80% of his time was at the VA Hospital in Tomah, Wis., where he practiced medicine in various capacities for 26 years.

Steve and Kay loved to travel in the U.S. and overseas. As charter members of the Friendship Force of Wisconsin, one or both went to Switzerland, Cuba, England, Jersey, China, Thailand, Moscow and Novgorod, Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, The Netherlands, and Germany and hosted people from other countries. They were also long-term members of the University League Foreign Foods group and enjoyed that form of travel.

In Madison their family was blessed with the addition of two children, several special pets, and the friendship of many close friends. They were long term members of Luther Memorial Church. Steve was president of the neighborhood association for several years. He very much enjoyed boating and they spent many hours on the water, especially on a pontoon boat. He also enjoyed scuba diving and belonged to the Madison Diving Club. He and Kay took several trips to the Caribbean where he could enjoy the sport. A non-physical activity he loved was listening to classical music whenever possible.

After family and friends and the practice of medicine his next love was the U.S. military. At age 17 he joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and in December 1951, in his sophomore year at Penn State, his unit was activated for the Korean War. Most of his deployment was at a U.S. Air Force base in northern New York state, where he was a radar technician watching for possible Russian attacks over the North Pole. During a summer leave he visited his relatives in Michigan and met his future wife. After his discharge he finished his degree at Penn State and medical school at Penn. At UW Hospital in Madison for his residency, he joined the 13th Evacuation Hospital of the Wisconsin Army National Guard in 1961. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel before leaving the Guard and joining the U.S. Army Reserve 44th General Hospital in 1975. Six months later he was a colonel and the commander of the unit. History repeated itself and his unit was activated for Desert Storm in December 1990. He led the group to their home Army base hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. Many of the members were assigned to 12 other Army hospitals in Germany, northern Italy and Belgium and he traveled to visit most of them. Their deployment ended in April 1991, and all returned to civilian life. He returned to Germany in 1993 for three weeks on active duty as a practicing physician at the Army base in Grafenwoehr.

Steven continued to practice medicine four days a week at the Tomah VA Hospital until he developed a brain abscess in 2016 that forced his retirement at age 84. He was able to stay at home with that and subsequent illnesses, thanks to the care of his family, Agrace Age at Home caregivers, especially Claudia and Bayo, “Mike,” his live-in caregiver, and eventually Agrace Hospice Care. Many thanks to his case managers and their teams and especially to Nicole and her team and Dr. Kelly Herold for their long-term dedicated care.

Steven was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, James Babcock and MacLean Jack Babcock; his niece, Barbara Greene; and his nephew, Jack MacLean Babcock. He is survived by his wife, Kay; his son, Thomas Babcock; daughter, Sara (John) Lash; grandchildren, Connor, Cassandra, and Cameron Babcock, and Sydney (Allyson Sawatzke), Heidi and Andrew Lash; nephew, Richard (Betsy) Babcock; and niece, Catherine (James) Waldo; along with grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Steve was loved and respected by the many people whose lives he influenced; they appreciated his kindness and they enjoyed his quirky sense of humor. The world was a better place with him in it and he will be greatly missed.

A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, 2023, with the Rev. Rebecca Ninke presiding, military honors to follow. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 2 p.m. until the time of the service on Thursday. Light appetizers will follow the service at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to Wisconsin Public Radio, Agrace HospiceCare, Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired or the charity of your choice.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

5203 Monona Drive

(608) 221-5420