Jeffrey Babick, TV producer, 42
deb...@comcast.net
February 8, 2006
BY DAVE NEWBART Staff Reporter, Sun Times
Jeffrey James Babick was an accomplished television producer who worked
on documentaries and television shows and filmed the Chicago Bears and
Illinois high school championships.
He was even awarded a local television Emmy for his work in 2002.
Mr. Babick, 42, of Homewood, died suddenly Sunday at South Suburban
Hospital in Hazel Crest.
Mr. Babick was born in Dolton. He attended Thornton High School, where
he worked in the audio-visual department.
His brother, John Babick, recalled how Mr. Babick always seemed to have
a camera in his hand. "At age 10, 12, 14 he had a camera," John Babick
said. He took "probably thousands and thousands of pictures" of the
family.
Mr. Babick studied film and television at Columbia College in Chicago.
Mr. Babick did television production work for a number of different
companies covering many events in the Chicago area. For the past seven
years, he worked as an executive production manager for KOST Broadcast
Sales in Elmhurst
In that capacity, he was in charge of the technical side of filming 100
hours of live coverage annually of the sports championships for the
Illinois High School Association. He also produced the Pro Football
Weekly television show.
Mr. Babick also worked on the video shown on the Jumbotron at Chicago
Bears games, both at the old Soldier Field and when the team played in
Champaign.
"His tremendous background and knowledge of all aspects of television
production were unmatched in the Chicago marketplace," said Jim O'Boye,
president of KOST.
John Babick remembers helping his brother run sound during the Bears
playoff game after the 2001 season. A cousin, Christopher Schulp,
fondly remembers working with Mr. Babick on a preseason game that
season.
"He got me started," said Schulp, now a photojournalist in Iowa. "He
would do anything for anyone."
Mr. Babick also did video production for Balmoral Race Track.
For the past three years, photographer Mike Dimiceli has been working
on a documentary with Mr. Babick on the Dakota Indian tribe in South
Dakota. Mr. Babick worked as director and producer for the film.
"We are going to feel the loss of Jeff tremendously," Dimiceli said.
Mr. Babick won a Chicago Emmy award for Outstanding Achievement for
Special Events Programming in 2002 for a show he produced for Total
Living Network.
Mr. Babick was very close to his family, including his wife, Lisa Marie
Babick, and 5-year-old son, Steven Joseph.
In a 1996 article in the Sun-Times, Mr. Babick, then a television
director with Crystal Productions in Dolton, talked about learning to
cook together with his new wife while on their honeymoon in Hawaii. He
joked about his limited cooking experience, saying the "specialty of
both my father and me while I was growing up was buttered toast."
In addition to his brother, wife and son, Mr. Babick is survived by his
parents, John and Maryann; and another brother, Steven.
A prayer will be said at 8:45 a.m. today at Tews Funeral Home, 18230 S.
Dixie Hwy., Homewood. A mass will be offered at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph
Church, 179th and Dixie Hwy., Homewood. Interment follows at Holy Cross
Cemetery, 801 Michigan City Rd., Calumet City.