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Bruce McDaniel Babcock
Bruce McDaniel Babcock of Bridgehampton and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, died December 14. He was 83.
He was born in Schenectady, New York, on December 15, 1940, to Joseph P. and Helen M. Babcock. At the age of 10, after losing both parents, he and his brother, Jay, moved to Winston-Salem, where they were raised by their uncle and aunt, Charles H. Babcock and Mary Reynolds Babcock.
He graduated from Woodberry Forest School in 1958 as valedictorian and from Yale University in 1962. He then served in the United States Navy (LTJG). While stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, he met his wife Anne Pope Burroughs. They married in 1968 and recently celebrated their 56th anniversary.
They moved to New York City following their wedding, where he graduated from Columbia Business School and began a successful career on Wall Street. He joined Smith Barney as a research analyst and subsequently founded the investment counsel firm, Saybrook Capital, which is about to begin its 50th year and is based in Sag Harbor and New York City. He loved the analytical focus of his business but received great moral fulfillment in serving his clients, particularly his work with endowments and foundations — which married his joint passions of finance and philanthropy. In 1989, he returned to Winston-Salem with his family, but has spent the last 60 summers and many cherished holidays in his beloved Bridgehampton community.
He spent his entire adult life actively participating in school, foundation, museum, and endowment boards, where his investment expertise, thoughtfulness, and consideration were highly valued. These boards included the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, the Wake Forest University Board of Visitors, the North Carolina Museum of Art, St. Bernard’s School, and Woodberry Forest School. He was particularly proud of founding the S. Pope Babcock Foundation, which honors the memory of his son, Pope, and has helped countless people and organizations, with a special focus on the East End.
Having lost his parents at a young age, and later his brother and his son, he never took for granted the importance of family and friends, maintaining very close relationships with his direct family, cousins, in-laws, employees, loyal friends, and classmates.
He counted many places as particularly special, including the South Fork and its agricultural history, the city of Winston-Salem and Reynolda House, the North Carolina mountains and Roaring Gap, and Southern California where he spent summers in his youth and visited last month.
Golf was a special passion, and he was a longtime member of The Bridgehampton Club and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. While he insisted on small monetary bets and always counted every stroke, ultimately the game was a way to enjoy time outdoors and bond with his family and friends.
He was predeceased by his mother and father; aunt and uncle; his brother, Jay; half-sister, Celia; and his son, Pope. He is survived by his wife, Anne; sons Luke M. Babcock (Allison) of Sag Harbor, and Thomas B. Babcock (Molly) of Sagaponack and Santa Barbara, California; and four granddaughters.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Heart of the Hamptons (heartofthehamptons.org) in order to help those in need, especially during the holiday season.
Staff Writer on Dec 19, 2024