The Obituary of Lieutenant A.E. Babcock

In a previous post a letter sent by then Sergeant Babcock related some of his experiences in the war during his service with the 18th Battalion. After the war ended Lieutenant Babcock was demobilized and took up residence in London, Ontario. His obituary then outlines his involvement with the automotive industry working for a Dodge Motors dealership first as mechanic and then as a salesman.

Lt. Babcock was to die on February 12, 1922 from from influenza and meningitis according to his Veterans Death Card (note that it has his death dated February 13, 1922) at Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario. It is unknown why he was buried at Hamilton, Ontario at the Woodlawn Cemetery, as his family background was from the Paisley area.

OBITUARY
——
LIEUT. A.E. Babcock

It was with feelings of the deepest and most sincere regret that Paiselyites learned last week of the death of this ex-soldier, who held such an honored place in the hearts of the people of his old town and vicinity. His death occurred on Sunday, Feb. 12^th, following an illness of nine days. The deceased was employed with the Dodge Motor Co., in London, first in the repair department, but latterly in the office, and the week of his illness was to have started on the road as a salesman. It will be remembered that during his four years of service in the war Lieut. Babcock was badly wounded in the leg, a bullet having shattered the bone from the knee to the ankle, and when he arrived home after the armistice he was very lame, and still under treatment. From what we have learned of his illness, the wound was ultimately the cause of death. He felt the trouble the last day he was at work, and intended to give the limb a rest for a few days before going out on the road, but he took a chill. The doctor pronounced his illness an attack of la grippe. Spinal meningitis developed in a day or two, and he became blind, when he was taken to hospital, after which pneumonia set in. Deceased in his 35^th year, born in Bruce Tp., and spend his boyhood days in Greenock. Before the war he had started to learn the hardware business in Sinclair’s store, but was among the first young men from here to take up arms in defence of home and country, enlisting in the 18^th Battalion in 1914. He was married in 1919 to Miss Lilly McDonald, of Paisley, who survives him, and to her the sympathy of all goes out in her hour of deep affliction. One brother and two sisters are living – Sam, of North St.; Mrs. Neil McDonald of Vancouver, B.C., and Mrs. R.T. McGregor of 8^th Bruce. The funeral took place on Tuesday of last week to a London cemetery.

Paisley Advocate. February 22, 1922.