Farewell, John Babb – Send-off for Newsday founding editor

FAMILY, friends and former colleagues said farewell to former Newsday editor John Babb, 91, in a funeral on August 9 at St John the Evangelist RC Church, Diego Martin. Officiating was Deacon Mike Smith, a personal friend of Babb, who died in hospital on August 3.

Eulogies were delivered by Babb's daughter Deborah Babb and granddaughters Astra Babb and Jardeña Harding.

Deborah pointed to her father's humble beginnings: he did not know his mother, who  died young, when he had reached only a primary level of education.

Astra and Harding recalled Babb as a doting grandfather whom they called "Papa."

Astra recalled his role in helping them with school drops, panyard visits and school assignments.

Saying Babb would give them treats but require their effort in some endeavour, she said that was his way to teach the value of a strong work ethic at a tender age.

"It has truly been a blessing to have a grandfather like him.

"Papa, your legend will live on from your work and the value you instilled in all of us."

She related that in commercial school, he had developed a talent for shorthand, which, together with his aptitude for journalism, led him to a first job at the Port of Spain Gazette – later known as the TT Chronicle – and then to TT Guardian and its radio station.

Babb took his family to Canada in the 1960s, but found it hard to get into journalism, so instead worked at the Canadian Pacific Railway and with a publisher.

He eventually returned to Trinidad and Tobago as chief reporter at the Guardian.

Babb distinguished himself by way of exclusive interviews with TT's first prime minister Dr Eric Williams and coverage of the murder trials of Mano Benjamin and Dole Chadee.

In 1993, he joined Therese Mills at the newly-formed TT Newsday.

Deborah said her father said journalism was "not a job but a vocation." He had given 70 years to journalism.

She recalled Babb's musical side, playing instruments including guitar, cuatro and pan, and being organist at Arouca RC Church.

"Our house was always filled with music," Deborah said, recalling him strumming his instruments and playing vinyl records of every possible genre.

She attributed his well-known interest in physical fitness to his desire to want to look good, noting his careful sense of dress. He went to the gym daily, competed in bodybuilding and was a member of the Amateur Boxing Association, Deborah said.

Summing up Babb's attitude to journalism, she said, "He had a passion to get it right."

Babb had been recognised with several industry awards and the national awards of Hummingbird (Silver) and Hummingbird (Gold) medals, she said..

Deborah recalled Babb as "a great mentor, an inspiration to many, and a provider to his family."

Smith, in his homily, said, "Thank God for the wonderful soul you sent us."

Newsday spoke to several colleagues from his early days at this newspaper.

Former head of pagination Sheri Halal said, "John Babb was one of the most versatile and fascinating journalists you'd ever meet in your life.

"He was very particular about details and finding the right information and making sure he has the correct thing.

"Everything had to be checked and double-checked before it went into the paper."

Halal originally met Babb at the Guardian many years ago and then worked with him for 14 years at Newsday.

"We were the Babb and Halal team. So any big story that happened, he would go and do the story and I would do the design for the newspaper.

"Many a night we had to leave our homes at midnight whenever a big story broke and go back to the office (and) change the front page. He would write the story and I would redesign the front page and then print the newspaper. Those were very exciting times."

Halal recalled when Wendy Fitzwilliam won Miss Universe.
"I was on my treadmill and he called and said 'It looks like she is going to win.'

"I said, 'Well, okay. We will see what happens.'

"And I'm still on my treadmill and he calls back and says, 'We have to go back to the office.' We had to jump into some clothes and go down to the office."

Halal recalled Babb as TT's only journalist able to write verbatim what was happening in court for the duration of the Chadee trial, using his shorthand skills. Recorders were banned.

"Newsday's circulation went up, sky-rocketed, because nobody else could do the verbatim.

"He had the most amazing calm vibe. He was cool under pressure. Very easy-going."

Saying she had worked 20 years in all with Babb, Halal said she never once had a disagreement with him.

"I love him so much. Amazing guy."

Former editor Dr Kris Rampersad said, "John Babb was my first editor at the Guardian when I started journalism. He was probably the reason I stayed in journalism.

"He was also instrumental in me joining Newsday, where I had the first front-page story.

"He was always stressless, in a very stressful environment. He never wore that stress. Full of humour, as you have heard other people say. He always found the humour in the moment. He kept us stress-free. He was like the buffer between us and everything else that was happening in the media at the higher levels, all the stressful things."

She  always knew that, based on what she presented, Babb would accord it the attention it deserved.

Rampersad was grateful to Babb for having given her a free rein in being able to choose  topics to cover. These included features, profiles and human-interest stories, including finding the story within the story.

"Being on the spot and being in the field is what made journalism for me."

CNC3 deputy head of news Sampson Nanton said Babb was always an example to young reporters.

"He was someone we looked up to in a major way. The awards he won were well-deserved.

"He was someone who would have trained me, sit down and rewrite the story and so on."

Asked about getting buffs as a young reporter, he said, "Yes, and buff you up. But the buffs were good. But John was a gem."

Columnist Anna Maria Mora told Newsday, Babb had known her family as neighbours in Arouca, including her brother, newsman the late Stan Mora.

"He was always a pleasant gentleman. I never saw him with a vexed face." Mora said that as a columnist she would chat with Babb on her visits to Newsday.

"He was a positive influence on his environment."

Babb leaves to mourn his wife Lautnie Babb; sister Sr Pia Babb of the Cluny Sisters; children John Jr, Deborah-Ann and Derron; and grandchildren Ricardo, Astrid, Jerome and Jardeña.