CAMDEN — Charles Adelbert “Del” Babb, 86, died peacefully and surrounded by family on April 23, 2023, at Windward Gardens in Camden, Maine. Del was a dedicated family man and could not have been happier that all four of his daughters have homes in Camden. During monthly family dinners out, Del would always be sure to say to the server, “Aren’t I the luckiest man alive?”

A fourth generation Camdener, Del was born at the Camden Community Hospital on Mountain Street on April 20, 1937, to Charles W. Babb, Jr. of Camden and Helen Bird Babb of Rockland. Together with his younger sister, Janan, they spent summers on Megunticook Lake at the camp built by their grandfather Charles W. Babb, Sr., and learned to ski at the Camden Snow Bowl during the winter.

Del attended Camden public schools until grade ten (Elm Street school through grade 5, Knowlton Street School through grade 8, where Mary E. Taylor was his teacher, and Camden High School through grade 10). He finished his high school education, graduating from the Loomis School (now Loomis Chaffee School) in Windsor, Connecticut, in 1956. At Loomis, Del played basketball and football, lettering in his first year as tackle, and discovered pizza for the first time! Del returned to Maine and joined the class of 1960 at the University of Maine at Orono, where he played three years of football, was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, and majored in business and economics.

After Orono, Del moved back to Camden with his first wife, Roberta, to work at the Knox Woolen Mill.

He enlisted in the Maine Air National Guard, completed basic training in San Antonio, and served in the reserves for 6 years at Dow Air Force Base in Bangor.

Del began his long career in the paper industry at the age of 16, working summers at the Knox Woolen Mill. During his time at Knox, Del traveled the country as a factory and sales representative, visiting customers from Florida to Texas, the West Coast, Midwest and New England. After almost three decades with Knox, Del was hired as the New England sales representative for Appleton Mills (headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin). He felt that the customers at the various mills he called on were more friends than clients - he truly enjoyed what he did.

Del’s love for the arts and painting started in grade school when he took lessons from Eliot Beverage and Denny Winters. At Loomis, under the guidance of Sanford Lowe, Del continued to develop his interest in drawing, sketching, and watercolors. His favorite classes at UMO were the studio art classes he took from Vincent Hartgen. With family and work keeping him busy, Del put aside painting until his retirement. He then enjoyed attending watercolor workshops in Maine and Canada taught by Alvaro Castagnet and Bill Vrscak, among others, where he learned new techniques and made lasting friendships. Del’s artwork can be found around town, proudly hanging in the homes of his family and friends and even local businesses. An extremely talented but modest artist, Del gladly gave away his paintings in exchange for a donation to the Penobscot Bay YMCA.

Del’s commitment to and love for his community was never ending. He served as President of the Board of Directors of the Camden Area YMCA (a place he cherished and frequented until his health no longer permitted); President of the Board of Directors of Camden Outing Club (during his tenure the club added the chairlift, small T-bar and tennis courts at the Snow Bowl); Vice-Chairman of the SAD #28 School Board; Director and founding member of Oyster River Tennis Club; member of various committees at Pen Bay Medical Center; and member of the Town of Camden Budget Committee, as well as other professional organizations. It thrilled Del to see his family enjoy and support these same organizations that he believed are such strong testaments to the area’s deep sense of community.

He loved sailing and exploring Penobscot Bay with family and friends and was actively involved in the Maine sailboat racing circuit for many years. Since the 1980s, Del and his wife Isa have been co-owners of the local sail loft, Bohndell Sails and Rigging, with the Chase Family, serving the sailing community along the coast of Maine.

Though Del may have (somewhat proudly) proclaimed in his later years not to like many people, those he knew and encountered would have surely disagreed. He never missed an opportunity to chat or tell a joke, making those he met feel at ease and welcome.

Del was predeceased by his first wife, Roberta Anderson Babb; his parents, Charles W. Babb, Jr. and Helen Bird Babb; and his sister, Janan Babb Vaughan.

He leaves behind his wife of 47 years, Isa Graber Babb; his daughters: Rebecca (Deerin Babb-Brott), Jennifer (James M. B. Wickenden), Andrea (Peter Conover) and Johanna (Jonathan Lamm); and his grandchildren: Alison, James Jr., Evan, Anya, Charles, Olive, Robert, and Charlotte.

He is sorely missed by those he left behind.

Please join us for a celebration of Del’s life, July 16, 2023, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Camden Yacht Club.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Penobscot Bay YMCA in Rockport, Maine.

Condolences may be shared at www.longfuneralhomecamden.com. Arrangements are with the Long Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 9 Mountain Street, Camden.