WHEREAS, John E. Babiarz, Sr., was born in Wilmington on the sixth day of June, 1915, the eldest son of the late Stanley and Mary Babiarz; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Babiarz was raised in the city he loved so well, and was a lifelong member of Saint Stanislaus Kostka Parish of his beloved Roman Catholic Church; and

WHEREAS, he was a graduate of Wilmington High School and of the Class of 1937 of the University of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, following service with the United States Army in the Middle East during World War II, he returned home to Wilmington and joined the family business, the Delaware Bedding Company; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Babiarz became active in veterans affairs in Delaware in the years following the war, joining the Veterans of Foreign Wars and helping to found White Eagle Post 7006 of the V.F.W., of which he was named Commander; and

WHEREAS, Mr Babiarz was elected State Commander of the V.F.W. in 1950; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Babiarz became active in politics in 1948, when he ran for the county office of Register in Chancery, to which he was elected; and

WHEREAS, in the years thereafter, he became actively involved in politics and public service in numerous capacities, serving as Chief Clerk of the Delaware House of Representatives in 1954, and winning a seat on the Wilmington City Council soon thereafter, being elected Council President in 1956; and

WHEREAS, in 1960, Mr. Babiarz was elected to the first of two terms as Mayor of the City of Wilmington, during the course of which the city made great strides, not the least of which was the adoption of home rule legislation, greatly modernizing the operation of city government; and

WHEREAS, as mayor, as in every other capacity in his full life, he earned a well-deserved reputation for honesty, integrity and tireless devotion to duty; and

WHEREAS, as mayor and throughout his life Mr. Babiarz was characterized by a deep and genuine concern for those around him, going out of his way to help people in every walk of life and in every context; and

WHEREAS, following the conclusion of Mayor Babiarz’s second term in 1969, he became President of the Better Business Bureau; and

WHEREAS, in 1973, he returned to government service, being named Secretary of Administrative Services by then Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt; and

WHEREAS, in 1977, Mayor Babiarz was named Director of Commerce for the City of Wilmington and in that capacity gave distinguished and tireless service in the development of the Port of Wilmington, for which contribution, he was honored in 1999 by the creation of the John E. Babiarz Maritime Award by the Port of Wilmington Maritime Society to honor outstanding contributions to port development; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Babiarz officially retired from his career in public service in 1980, but he continued to be active in many capacities in the years that followed; coming to Legislative Hall often during the 1980s, volunteering his services as a lobbyist on behalf of such worthwhile organizations as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Babiarz was active in many community service and civic organizations, a number of which, such as the Polish Library Association and the Polish National Alliance, were devoted in part toward preserving the rich cultural heritage of Delaware’s Polish American community, of which the Mayor himself was such a sterling example; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Babiarz leaves to survive him his beloved wife, Adele, whom he married some 65 years ago, two sons, Judge John E. Babiarz, Jr., and Deputy State Bank Commissioner Francis S. Babiarz, and three granddaughters; and

WHEREAS, John E. Babiarz, Sr., was a rare and valuable community leader who has earned a justifiably high position in the annals of his beloved City of Wilmington and State of Delaware;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 142nd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, with the approval of the Governor, that the members of both houses of the Delaware General Assembly do hereby celebrate the life and honor the memory of Mayor John E. Babiarz, Sr., a singular Citizen of the First State for this and all time.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members do hereby express their deepest condolences upon the passing of this good and decent man to Mrs. Adele Babiarz and all the members of the Babiarz family.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that suitable copies of this Senate Joint Resolution be presented to the Babiarz family upon its enactment.

SPONSOR:	Sen. McDowell & Sen. Marshall
	& Henry, On behalf of all Senators; Reps. Williams & Keeley & Plant & DiPinto, On behalf of all Representatives