Plan for the Future
Lou Babic, loving father, grandfather, brother, husband and dear friend to many, died Monday, July 27, 2015 at the Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains, surrounded by his loving family. He was 84.
A visitation will be held for Lou on Thursday from 4-8pm at the Bradley Haeberle & Barth Funeral Home, 1100 Pine Ave., Union. A Funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Friday, July 31, 2015 at 10am. Entombment will follow at Hollywood Cemetery, Union. For more info, or to send condolences to the family, visit www.www.bradleyfuneralhomes.com.
Born in Montpelier Vermont, Mr. Babic received his B.S. degree in Business Administration from Boston University and later attended Harvard to continue his marketing studies. Upon graduation, Mr. Babic began working for the Colgate-Palmolive company. After five years at Colgate, Lou joined forces with his colleague Tom Ehrhart and the rest, as they say, is history. Mr. Babic was president and CEO of the group which included Ehrhart-Babic Associates, National Retail Index Inc., Ehrhart-Babic Data Services, and National Alcoholic and Beverage Index, with headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and offices in Chicago and San Francisco. Meeting the needs of many Fortune 500 companies for more than thirty five years, the Ehrhart-Babic Group was one of the first market research firms to use more than 100 test markets to measure the relative success or failure of new consumer products. With over 400 employees and clients such as General Foods, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson and Johnson, Revlon, RJ Reynolds, Bristol Myers, and Campbell Soup, the Ehrhart-Babic Group was positioned at the forefront of the industry, providing manufacturers with valuable and reliable marketing information. Mr. Babic was responsible for innovative new market research tools such as the National Retail Tracking Index and the “Latin Square,” which led to more accurate and reliable sales figures for clients. Throughout his career Mr. Babic was a member of the American Marketing and Market Research Association, and lectured throughout the country at its national conventions.
Aside from his business activities, Mr. Babic was also an avid sports fan, enjoying golf, baseball, basketball, horseracing, but especially football. Always a Giants fan, Mr. Babic attended the Super Bowl victories in 1986 and 1990, and was a longtime season ticket holder of both the Jets and Giants. Mr. Babic began his love for sports playing both baseball and basketball at Snyder High School in Jersey City, later moving on to play college ball at Boston University. During his college years at Boston, Lou became enamored of the Boston Red Sox and subsequently, a lifelong fan. He was ecstatic when Boston won the World Series in 2004 and again in 2008.
Lou inherited a love of horses from his father, Lou Babic Sr. who was the chairman of the Standard Breeder and Owner’s Association of New Jersey. Father and son were also business partners, running the Lou Babic Stables, which focused on the racing and breeding of pacers and trotters. Each year there is a pacer race in New Jersey memorializing his father, Lou Babic Sr. Golf was also a lifelong passion for Mr. Babic, who loved nothing more than teeing off bright and early with good friends and a little wager on the side. He was a member of the Maplewood Country Club for over 60 years, the NYAC, The Upper Montclair Country Club, The Essex County Country Club, and The St. George’s Club in Bermuda.
Lou enjoyed many great moments during his illustrious career – however, one of the biggest events occurred on April 1st 2006 with the birth of his beautiful granddaughter Natalie, she was the love of his life and a dream come true for him. Louis Babic Jr. is survived by his daughter Lisa, his son-in-law Craig Duke, granddaughter Natalie, wife Lucille, brother Jack and sister Carol Mangano.
Those who wish to make a contribution in Lou’s memory may do so, to the Center for Hope Hospice, 1900 Raritan Rd., Scotch Plains, NJ 07076.