Alvin J.

Babkow

Alvin J. Babkow, died peacefully and of natural causes on February 21, 2024 at the age of 97. He is survived by his two sons Jonathan and David, and his three grandchildren Knox, Maddox and Zachary. His passing has left all of us with a profound sadness as he will be sorely missed by friends and family. Alvin lived a very full and prosperous life and positively affected all of those around him. He savored life and all it had to offer, including a successful and loving marriage of over 54 years to Kathleen Gibbons who passed in 2015. Despite the sadness her passing left him with, Alvin continued to enjoy life spending time with his family and loving grandkids all the while battling the health issues that come with living to 97.

Alvin was born on August 27, 1926 in the Bronx, NY. He was one two children, along with his brother Myron, born to Samuel Babkow of St. Petersburg, Russia and Anna Gervirtz of Warsaw, Poland. Both Samuel and Anna immigrated thru Ellis Island in the early 1900's. Samuel Babkow was in the apparel and textile businesses. Alvin and the family eventually moved to Brooklyn where he attended Lincoln High School and he began his love affair with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was an avid sports fan who played competitive basketball and his beloved stickball growing up.  After graduating high school, Alvin like many members of the "Greatest Generation", signed up for military service during WWII. He enlisted in the Navy at age 17 and served 2 years on naval destroyers in the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters. After his military service concluded and the War ended, Alvin attended Brooklyn College. After graduation from college, he started a long career in publishing at McGraw Hill. He spent 40 years at McGraw Hill overseeing and managing several magazine publications. In retirement he remained active, doing consulting and starting his own company A.J. Babkow and Associates.

He and his wife Kathy met at McGraw Hill and were married in 1961. They had an amazing life together for all of the 54 years until her passing in 2015. They resided for almost all of their time together on the upper east side of Manhattan, raised two sons, and were active in community affairs and Cornell Medical Center where Kathy worked post McGraw for almost 30 years. They were avid travelers, spending much time in retirement exploring the globe. Alvin loved life and had a particular soft spot for sports rooting on his Brooklyn Dodgers and eventually New York Mets and New York Jets teams. While his teams were not always successful, his passion for them and for life never withered. He will be missed by all the people whose lives he touched.

A private family service is scheduled for Friday March 8, 2024 at 12:00 noon at the Fort Hill Cemetery in Montauk, New York. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to Team Rubicon @ teamrubiconusa.org