Gloria Babcock

Springfield, Mass. — Gloria (Arment) Babcock, 83, died peacefully and in the company of family on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, in East Longmeadow, Mass., after a long illness.

She was born Oct. 29, 1933, in Springfield, Mass., to Irene Bernard. She married her beloved husband, William Babcock, on March 19, 1950, and Bill spent the entire 56 years they were together trying to get a word in edgewise.

Gloria crocheted hats for NICU preemies, made a mean mincemeat pie, and swore like she stepped on a Lego. She and Bill were members of several bowling leagues and donated their trophies to handicapped children. She loved the Red Sox and camping in Maine with her family.

Gloria lived for her family and she will live on through them. She leaves three daughters and two sons: Sandie (Mark) Burt of Enfield; Debbie Ringer of Westfield, Mass.; Donna (Rene) Venne of Hatfield, Mass.; Bill (Shirley) Babcock of Springfield, Mass.; and Ernie (Monica) Babcock of Waterford.

She leaves 13 grandchildren: Donnie Smith (Lisa Sullivan) and Bobby (Kathy) Smith of Enfield; Billie Jo (Ted) Forcier of Hampden, Mass.; Leah Babcock (Joe Tavernier) of Springfield, Mass.; Jamie (Nate) Zwirko of Suffield, Conn.; Kristine (Ian) Phelps of Salem, Ore.; Melissa (Travis) Johnson of New London; Lindsey (Shane) Scheer of Wilbraham, Mass.; Brian (Becky) Babcock of West Henrietta, N.Y.; Katelynn Venne (Ben Minifie) of South Londonderry, Vt.; Rene (Ariel) Venne of Bellevue, Neb.; and Brittany and Kaitlyn Nichols of Waterford.

She leaves 23 great-grandchildren: Emily, Alex, Tyler and Rebecca Smith; Thomas and Allison Forcier; Josephine and Genevieve Phelps; Rori and Caelyn Zwirko; Sage and Aiden Connors; Teaghan Haluch; Sabrina, Abigail, Gabrielle, Kayla and William Scheer; Mark Tavernier; Carina Berard; and Owen, Molly and Nora Babcock.

She is survived by sisters Dolly Babcock of Chicopee, Mass., and Pat Niemic of East Longmeadow, Mass., and brothers Al Arment of Brimfield, Mass., and Charlie Arment of East Longmeadow, Mass.

Aside from her husband and mother, Gloria was predeceased by stepfather Tom Rowe, brother Bob Arment and sister Joyce Babineau.

After 11 years apart from Bill, during which Gloria never stopped missing him, these soulmates are “on the road again.”

A wake will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, at Forastiere-Smith Funeral Home, 220 N. Main St., East Longmeadow, Mass. A funeral home service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, followed by burial at Hillcrest Park Cemetery, 895 Parker St., Springfield, Mass.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children, 516 Carew St., Springfield, MA 01104.