Bruce Babcock Obituary

Bruce McDaniel Babcock

Dec 15, 1940 - Dec 14, 2024

Bruce McDaniel Babcock, 83, of Winston-Salem, died December 14, 2024. He was born in Schenectady, NY on December 15, 1940 to Joseph P. and Helen M. Babcock. At the age of 10, after losing both parents, Bruce and his brother, Jay, moved to Winston-Salem where they were raised by their uncle and aunt, Charles H. Babcock and Mary Reynolds Babcock.

Bruce 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, Va. he met his wife Anne Pope Burroughs. They married in 1968 and recently celebrated their 56th anniversary.

Bruce and Anne 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. 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 and has lived there since.

Bruce 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 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, an organization that has helped countless people and honors the memory of his son, Pope.

Having lost his parents at a young age, and later his brother and his son, Bruce 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.

Bruce counted many places as particularly special, including the city of Winston-Salem and Reynolda House, the North Carolina mountains and Roaring Gap, the community of Bridgehampton, NY, where he spent summers for the last 60 years, and Southern California where he spent summers in his youth and visited last month.

Bruce is 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, NY and Thomas B. Babcock (Molly) of Santa Barbara, Calif.; and four granddaughters.

A memorial service is to be held on Thursday, December 19 at 2 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Winston-Salem Foundation. Condolences may be shared online at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

120 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101