John Littler Babb, Jr.

John Littler Babb, Jr. was born February 11, 1963, in Rockford, IL to Dr. John L. and Laurel (Dolly) Babb. John grew up in Beloit, WI, living at the family home on the banks of the Rock River. John passed away at his home near Detroit Lakes, MN on December 2, 2024 at the age of 61.

John was an active youth, participating in youth hockey, football, and recreational skiing on the Rock River, as well as being an avid hunter. He was very proficient in skeet shooting, winning the 1978 National Skeet Shooting Association Junior II level championship. He loved dogs his whole life, with Black Labradors being a special favorite.

From 1981 to 1983 John studied Land Surveying/Civil Technology at Dunwoody Industrial Institute in Minneapolis. It was during this time that he developed many relationships with fellow students and others in Minnesota.

After Dunwoody, John split his time between the Minneapolis area and his hometown of Beloit WI. During the 80’s, and into the 90’s, he worked as a house mover, drywaller, carpenter, remodeler, and general craftsman, giving him a variety of unique and specialized skills. This experience, along with his creative mind, led to many inventive ideas. His design of a reinforced concrete spiral staircase at a residence in rural Menahga MN. is just one example.

Throughout his life, he enjoyed learning new skills. Once mastered, he’d move on to another craft. While living in Menahga, where he was helping to build a house for a friend, he was known for steam bending wood. While there, he also designed and built the jigs for hardwood outdoor furniture, eventually becoming Littler Hardwood Furniture.

In the late 90’s John bought a farmstead in rural Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Besides making furniture, he performed custom wood and metal work, soon gaining a reputation. Although rough on the outside, he had a generous spirit and usually had many friends helping with his projects or working on theirs at his place. This produced many friendships that last to this day. Over the years, he helped numerous people, often without remuneration. This was for everything from little afternoon projects to full-scale house remodeling, taking up an entire season. His generosity was beyond reproach.

During his final years, when life started to catch up with him, he spent much of his time watching the news where he was always good for a commentary. He kept in touch with friends from all over the world whom he met while playing Elder Scrolls online, where he had a huge presence.

John never married. He was preceded in death by his father, John Littler Babb, Sr., his mother, Laurel (Dolly) Drache Babb, and his only sister, Susan Karla Babb. John was the last in his immediate family and is survived only by first cousins and their families on his mother’s side and by more distant relatives through great aunts and uncles on his father’s side. John has passed away, but every time a person that knew him picks up some wood and starts shaping it, they’ll remember him. He lives on in all of us who ever worked with him.