Retired Superior Court Judge John Babiarz, 83

“The court is saddened by the loss of Judge Babiarz,” said Superior Court President Judge Eric M. Davis. “John was intelligent, quick witted, kind and generous. A larger-than-life presence on the Court for many years and a great colleague. He will be dearly missed.

Judge Babiarz, a Delaware native and graduate of Salesianum High School, joined the Delaware Bar in 1966 after graduating from Harvard Law School. On the bench he had a reputation as a fiercely independent jurist, neither consistently favoring defense nor the prosecution, his obituary noted.

He was the son of former Wilmington Mayor John Babiarz and was  pleased that during most of his judicial career he worked in the Daniel L. Herrmann Courthouse on Rodney Square, which was the same building where his father had his office during his time as mayor.

Shortly after he joined the bench, Babiarz said that being a judge was the best job he ever had, adding, “I can’t wait for tomorrow to come.” And in 2010, days before his retirement, he remained equally enthusiastic. “I look forward to coming to work every day,” he said.

Prior to joining the bench, he was in private practice and he recalled that he argued his first criminal case in 1969, in which he won an acquittal for a man accused of DUI. He formed the law firm Biondi and Babiarz in 1971. In 1979, he became a partner at Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell where he worked until his appointment to the bench.

He said that the great strength of Delaware’s legal community was the sense of decorum and mutual respect among members of the Delaware Bar.

Babiarz is survived by his wife of 58 years, Linda C. (Whalen) Babiarz, his daughters, Lisa Loughran of Petaluma, CA, Julia Babiarz of Truckee, CA, and Amanda Cline and her husband, Matthew of Brisbane, CA; along with a number of grandchildren; and his brother and sister-in-law, Francis and Joyce Babiarz.

Click here for his obituary notice.