Former Merrick Fire Department captain dies at 78

The radio scanner that blared from inside Kim Sheridan’s childhood home in Merrick was so constant, she said, she assumed everyone else had one in their house, too. It would alert her father, volunteer firefighter William Babcock, when a call came in.

Sheridan said that growing up so close to Friendship Engine & Hose Co. 2 headquarters, on Meadowbrook Road, gave way to a lifetime of memories that she and her siblings shared with their father, who died on Feb. 19 at age 78.

Although Babcock was born and raised in Brooklyn, he spent the last 50 years of his life in Merrick with his wife, Jan. For 47 of those years, he volunteered with the Merrick Fire Department, climbing the ranks along the way. He joined Friendship on July 2, 1974, and became captain in 1980, the same year that Kevin Stress put on the jacket.

“Bill was very detail-oriented, calm, and he tried to instill that in you,” Stress said. “Working in the community, you’re dealing with your own neighbors at times, and he always said to prepare yourself . . . to handle emergencies with real people . . . and act as best as you can under the circumstances.”

Four years after his stint as captain, Babcock became involved with the Nassau County Fire Service Academy in May 1984. That September, he earned a firematic teaching degree from the University of the State of New York Education Department, and began passing his knowledge on to generations of firefighters.

“He was a natural instructor and educator,” said Lee Babcock, Bill’s daughter. “He was first deputy chief of the academy by the time he retired in 2013.”

“The academy takes in volunteers from 71 fire departments in Nassau County, so there’s a lot of people coming in and out of there,” Stress said. “To rise up in the ranks that high . . . goes to show you that he was very dedicated to this vocation.”

Because of his long tenure at the academy — and his distinct head of white hair — Babcock often got noticed by fellow firefighters while running errands in town or during family outings to Cooperstown, Shea Stadium and Epcot Theme Park in Orlando, Fla.

“Between his hair and his smile, he was easy to pick out in a crowd,” said Chris Babcock, Bill’s son. “He was a benefits manager by day, but the fire service was definitely his passion.”

Over time, Stress and Babcock became closer friends, and often found themselves paired up for golf outings or sitting at the same table during installation dinners. The two served in Friendship together for 40 years.

“As other guys get into their 50s, they slow down a little bit, but he was an active member up until the end,” Stress said. “Even into his 70s, he was getting into the fire gear — he’d say, ‘I might have one more in me.’”

Chris recalled the elaborate engine sendoff organized by the Merrick Fire Department following Babcock’s death. Because of the pandemic, the family did not expect many visitors at the funeral, but “it felt like the entire fire academy was there,” Chris said. “You hear the stories of firefighters being family, but we really saw it [that] week.”

Babcock’s children remembered him as a quiet jokester, a gentleman and a friendly person who was easy to know. At family occasions, he was known to bring beer, pie and a big smile on his face, Sheridan said. “He was tough, but full of love,” she said. “Between all of his jobs, he was always around, always thinking about us.”

Babcock is survived by his wife, Jan; his children, Lee Babcock (Alex Pertsovsky), Chris Babcock (Rose) and Kim Sheridan (Matt); and four grandchildren, Asher and Ivan Pertsovsky and Olivia and Billy Sheridan.

Visitation and services by N.F. Walker Funeral Home in Merrick. Burial at Calverton National Cemetery in Riverhead.