Shrewsbury- Vernon “Vahe” Babigian, 78, passed away surrounded by his family, on October 10, at UMass Medical Center following a brief illness.
He was born in Worcester on January 6, 1937, son of the late Charles B. and Virginia (Hagopian) Babigian. Vern attended local schools where he graduated from the Boys Trade High School. Following high school, he matriculated to Worcester Junior College, where he earned his Associates Degree.
He went on to work as a Mechanical Engineer for both the Raytheon Company, and Neico Microwave Company, before founding his own company, Microwave Components & Systems Inc. There, he served as Founder, Partner and President for over twenty years. One of the highlights of his professional career was being instrumental in the design of the microwave part of the tracking system for NASA’s Space Shuttle program and he attended the second Space Shuttle launch.
Vern met and married the love of his life Muriel (Potvin) Babigian in 1965. This past September, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They celebrated this milestone with a family party and a vacation with their children and grandchildren in Cape Cod.
Vern was involved in the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church where he served on the Men’s Club, the Board of Trustees and was a member of the Armenian Youth Federation.
Vern was an avid Boston sports fan. He loved frequent trips to the casino to play Blackjack. Vern enjoyed Sudoku puzzles and researching the ancestry of the Babigian family. He was very proud of his Armenian heritage. Above all, he cherished time spent with his family, especially his three grandsons, who affectionately called him “Puppa.”
Besides his beloved wife, he is survived by his loving children, Ann Wildgoose and her husband David of Pittsfield, Michelle Babigian and her partner Jared Smith of Foxboro; three grandchildren, Jack Arthur, David Charles, and Alexander Vahe Wildgoose; his sister Rosalee (Babigian) Malo; his cousin and best friend, Dr. Robert Babigian; and several nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his brother, Arthur “Artie” Babigian.
Vern’s family would like to express their sincere gratitude to all of the doctors and nurses who cared for him while at UMass Medical Center on 3ICU and 6ICU, especially his nurses Tom and Allie and Drs. Torres, Colvin, and Belt.
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, October 15th, from 4 until 7pm at the CALLAHAN-FAY & CASWELL FUNERAL HOME, 61 Myrtle St., Worcester. A Funeral Service will take place at 11am on Friday at the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, 635 Grove St., Worcester. Burial is to follow at Hope Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, 635 Grove Street, Worcester, MA 01605