Mary Taylor Babcock

COLUMBUS - MARY TAYLOR BABCOCK passed away on Thursday,14 March 2024 at Wesley Glen Assisted Living Center in Columbus in the presence of her three children. Born Mary Ayer Taylor in 1929 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the daughter of John Collins Taylor and Helen Rafferty Taylor, she graduated from Highland Park High School in 1946, Mount Holyoke College in 1950, and received an M.A. in Classics from Bryn Mawr College in 1954. She earned a Fulbright Scholarship to Rome in 1953, and on voyage there she met her future husband, Dr. Charles L. Babcock. The two were married in August 1955. They lived in Ithaca, New York and Narberth, Pennsylvania before relocating to Columbus in 1966. Together, they raised three children.

For many years, Mary was a volunteer advocate for Columbus area-students who wanted to attend college. She recruited for Mount Holyoke, her alma mater, and provided guidance and support to students at Northland High School through the I Know I Can program. She visited colleges and universities across the state so she could speak personally to high school students of the opportunities available on each campus. Her work earned her a commendation from the Points of Light Foundation, and a Golden Ruler Award from the Columbus Board of Education. In later years, she did similar volunteer work at the Graham School.

Mary’s parents, John and Helen, and her husband, Charles, precede her in death. Her children Robert, Jennie and Jonathan, grandchildren Sara, Carl, Eiseley, and Kirby, and her brother David, survive her. Mary was a world traveler, a lover of opera, an avid bird-watcher, a passionate pet owner, and an indefatigable reader. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the National Audubon Society, to the Cat Welfare Association, or to the Charles L. Babcock Rome Scholarship at The Ohio State University (600239), which enables students to study in Italy.

Private arrangements with COOK & SON PALLAY FUNERAL HOME.