WINDHAM – Robert “Bob” Babb, Sr., 84, of Windham, passed away on Sept. 15, 2022 surrounded by his family. Bob was the son of George W. Babb and Margarite Babb. He grew up in New Gloucester on a dairy farm. He attended New Gloucester schools.

In 1955 he started logging and built a name for himself and his family with Robert Babb & Sons Logging. He ran his company from the beginning until his passing and will still be the guiding light for the business from here on out. In 1956, Robert started racing stock cars at Oxford Plains Speedway, Beech Ridge, Arundel, anyplace he was old enough to race.

On Aug. 26, 1962 he married the love of his life, Sally Kimball, celebrating 60 wonderful years together just recently. Together they had two sons, Bobby and Barry.

Bob adored Sally and anything she needed (even if she didn’t really need it) he got for her without question. He was her provider and protector, as he was for his family and friends.

Bob looked forward to going on the moose hunt every year, up to Bobby Lowes camp. One of his proudest moments was when his granddaughter, Kelsey, got her first moose with his gun. Another was watching grandson, Bradley, win races and championship in grandpa’s car. He was looking forward to his first great-grandchild from granddaughter, Logan.

Since the early 1980s, Bob looked forward to his annual trip to the Daytona 500 with family and friends. He learned every shortcut in Daytona that there was. Even if it was passing through a fence and following busses down a pole line past the police cars to beat the traffic from the track. Bob excelled in everything he did and was a championship stock car driver and championship logger at Fryeburg Fair Woodsman Day.

Bob was one of the strongest, hardworking, honest men anyone ever met, an all-around great guy. He had everything he ever wanted in family, work and friends. He made countless friends and customers through work and racing. It was easy to look up to a man like Bob, and over the years many people said he was their idol. He was very giving, whether it be giving to family members a lot for their houses, giving jobs to people or steering people in the right direction with sound advice and knowledge. He loved having friends stop by the garage for a few cold ones and maybe some deer or moose meat on Sundays.

Bob had a great sense of humor. He always laughed about opening his lunch box at dinner time only to find out “Gig” had borrowed his sandwich earlier. “Borrowed? I hope he doesn’t return it!” he’d say. Or at Hooters in Daytona when a random person wanted his autograph because they thought he was Chris Economaki, a legendary sports reporter, and he asked Steve, while signing it, “How the hell do you spell Economaki?”.

Bob loved to have fun with family, friends, customers and his valued workers, who he treated like friends, with payday gatherings at the house with a lot of beer and whiskey to go around. There’s many memorable, quick witted quotes from Bob over the years, and one of his last great answers was just this past week. While in the hospital, a doctor asked him if he knew who the current president was and he quickly replied, “We don’t have one”.

Bob is survived by his wife, Sally; sons Robert Jr. and his wife, Carla, and Barry and his wife, Kim; sisters Charlotte Jordan, Janet Ray and her husband, Allan, Emily Carey, Donna Lowe and her husband, Bobby, brother, George Babb Jr. and his wife, Joan; granddaughters Kelsey Ordway and her husband, Mike, Logan Laberge and her husband, Cody, and his his grandson, Bradley.

He was predeceased by his parents; and his best friend, Terry Wilkinson, who he missed every day for the past five years.

The family would like to thank the nurses at Maine Medical Center, especially his last couple of nurses, Mackenzie and Kayla.

A celebration of life will be held at The Inn at Fogg Farm in Gray, across from Cole Farms, on Sept. 27 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

To express condolences, or to participate in Bob’s online tribute, please visit http://www.DolbyBlaisSegee.com.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Robert Babb, Sr. to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

at http://www.StJude.org.