The Babb Family has deep roots in Wakefield and continues to maintain strong ties to the community. Judy and Roy raised their children, Troy and Jan, on Byron Street on the upper West Side. The family shares many fond memories from those years —playing at Moulton Playground, attending Memorial Day services at the West Side Social Club, and watching the Fourth of July parade along Gould Street.
Jan and Troy attended Doyle Elementary School and Atwell Junior High. Jan graduated from Wakefield High School, and Troy graduated from Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School. Roy, originally from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, grew up in Wakeman, Ohio. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17 and served during the Vietnam era aboard the USS Arcadia (a destroyer tender) and later the USS Willis A. Lee (a destroyer leader). He has lived in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for over 50 years.
A native of Wakefield, Judy dedicated more than 35 years to education, including over three decades teaching in Wakefield. She graduated from Wakefield High and earned a law degree from Suffolk Law School and practiced locally. Her commitment to public service included serving on the Planning Board and Board of Selectmen, where she was chair in 1991. Judy was also deeply involved in the Wakefield Teachers Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, and the National Education Association, serving in numerous leadership roles.
For her many contributions to the community, Judy was honored as Woman of the Year by the Wakefield Business and Professional Women’s Organization in 1989. She was named Citizen of the Year in 1996 by the West Side Social Club.
Roy was actively involved in the community as well, coaching youth sports and playing in the local men’s softball league. He worked for 25 years as a diesel mechanic and later spent 20 years as a school bus driver, transporting students in Winchester, Malden, and Wakefield. He especially enjoyed driving for sports events and school trips. Both Roy and Judy served on the Doyle PTO for several years.
Jan was a member of both the Saint Joseph and Saint Patrick color-guard, where she made life-long friends. A graduate of Ball State University, she has lived in Indiana since her sophomore year of college and works for the City of Anderson. She is a proud mother of Kelli and Riley, mother-in-law to Sean and Makayla and grandmother (Bebe) to Harper and Aidan.
Family has always been central to the Babbs. They spent several years in Indiana while their grandchildren attended high school and later Purdue University. They are proud great-grandparents to Harper and Aidan.
Troy and his wife Patrice live in Pelham, New Hampshire. Troy serves as a respected member of the Pelham Fire Department and holds a degree in Fire Science from North Shore Community College. Patrice, a Wakefield native and graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology, is an architect and a past recipient of a TSF award, which played a meaningful role in her education.
Troy and Patrice have also dedicated many years to fostering dogs and supporting animal shelters across New Hampshire, helping hundreds of dogs find loving homes.
The Babb family’s long history of community involvement includes a deep commitment to the Wakefield Independence Day Committee, where Roy, Judy, Troy and Patrice served more than 22 years as members. Roy, Judy and Troy are also longtime members of the West Side Social Club (WSSC), where Judy served on the Building Committee. Judy’s dad, Jim Smith was a mechanic, who served as Chaplain of the club until his death. Her mother, Dot Smith, was an Honorary Member of WSSC.
Education has always been a priority for the Babbs. Both Judy and Patrice benefited from TSF and the family has long supported the foundation. The Babbs are proud to give back and support future generations.
This scholarship will support students pursuing careers in public service—such as fire, police, or education—as well as skilled trades. The Babb Family is proud to be a blue-collar, union-supporting family committed to paying it forward.
Family motto: Think positive.