Clifford LeRoy Babler's Obituary
Cliff passed away peacefully in his home with family by his side and has gone to join his loving wife, Rose in Heaven. Clifford was born in Van Dyne, Wisconsin, the oldest of three children to Ervin & Erna Babler. He grew up in Van Dyne and at a young age joined the Navy to serve his country in World War II being stationed in the Philippines. Upon his return, he met the love of his life, and they were married on May 26, 1951. They moved to Oshkosh in 1963 where he worked as a painter for the Oshkosh School System.
Cliff was an avid gardener, he enjoyed beer and polka music, watching and feeding the birds as well as mowing his lawn and keeping up their home. He was strong in his faith and was an excellent role model teaching his children the value of hard work. Clifford also volunteered for the Van Dyne Fire Department and helped a lot with the picnics they used to hold. Snowmobiling, fishing, building bird houses and refinishing furniture were also part of his many past-times. In addition, he enjoyed trips with his wife, Rose and friends Orella and Verdayne Schrader to Aruba, Hawaii, Australia/New Zealand and many more. Cliff and Rose also enjoyed many years at their cottage in Irma, Wisconsin.
Clifford is survived by and his memory will be cherished by sons John (Mary) Babler, Daniel (Jan) Babler, daughters Renee Babler (friend Lorry), Betty (Tom) Barr, Peggy (Rick) Kohl and Rita (Dick) Weisjohn. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. Cliff is further survived by one sister, Donna Reitz and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law Raphael (Darlene) Zepczyk and a sister-in-law, Mary Zepczyk as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Rose, his parents, Ervin & Erna Babler, a sister and brother-in-law, Joyce (Thomas) O’Hearn, and a brother-in-law, Rex Reitz, his in-laws Joseph and Cordelia Zepczyk, his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Joseph (Patricia) Zepczyk, and many wonderful sisters and brothers-in-law..
Funeral services for Clifford will be held on Monday, May 20, 2024 at 12 noon in Immanuel Lutheran Church, 338 N. Eagle Street, Oshkosh. A time of visitation will be held at the church on Monday from 11:00 am until the time of service. Burial will follow with full military honors at New Elm Cemetery.
A very warm and sincere thank you to the angels from Hospice for their wonderful caring spirit, and to the staff at Hometown Pharmacy and all his caretakers for their kindness. Though our hearts are broken we can take joy in knowing we will meet you again one day in Heaven. God and Mom have kept a special spot for you. We will miss all those “dad-isms” that always made us smile and laugh. Those blue eyes will be smiling down on us. We love you!
What’s your fondest memory of Clifford?
What’s a lesson you learned from Clifford?
Share a story where Clifford's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Clifford you’ll never forget.
How did Clifford make you smile?
