Roger "Rod" Alan Babcock

Roger “Rod” Alan Babcock Jr., 55, of Grandview, Missouri, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, September 27. Born in Independence, Missouri, Rod spent his childhood in Dallas, Texas, before returning to the Kansas City area, where he built his life, career, friendships, and family.

A visitation will be held Saturday, October 3, from 12:30–2:00 p.m. at Speaks Suburban Chapel, 18020 East 39th Street South, Independence, Missouri 64055. A service for family and close friends, officiated by Jonathan Wier, will immediately follow at 2:00 p.m. Rod will be cremated.

A public Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, October 11, from 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Grinders KC Event Venue, 1826 Locust Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108. Everyone is welcome to come together, celebrate Rod’s life, and share memories.

Rod was many things to many people: husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, storyteller, artist, music lover, and radio personality. But above all, he was someone who loved people deeply and made sure they knew it.

Rod met his wife, Tabatha, in 1992 at a party above an ice cream shop in Independence. They were introduced through mutual friends, and their story began there. They were married on October 1, 1993, and shared nearly 33 years together. Rod and Tabatha have an 18-year-old son, Roman, who is attending Longview Community College. Rod was Tabatha and Roman’s biggest supporter, always encouraging and celebrating the things that mattered to them.

Rod had a big personality and an even bigger heart. He was caring, compassionate, funny, and completely unapologetic about being himself. He had an amazing sense of humor and an unforgettable laugh—loud, unique, and infectious. You could pick Rod’s laugh out of a crowd, and more often than not, you would find a group of people gathered around him laughing along with him.

Rod was an incredible storyteller. He could tell the same story again and again and somehow make you want to hear it one more time. He had a way of bringing people into his stories and making ordinary moments memorable. Making people laugh was one of his greatest gifts, and one of his favorite things to do.

Rod was also an artist at heart. He loved creating: drawing, collage work, pour painting, 3D art, and anything else that gave him an opportunity to make something. His creativity showed up in countless ways throughout his life.

Music was another great love. Rod collected music and seemed to have a story about nearly every song and artist he loved. He delighted in sharing music with other people, making playlists, introducing friends and family to new artists, and creating the legendary “mixed tapes” he gave to the people in his life. Sharing something he loved with someone else was simply part of who Rod was.

Rod’s professional life was spent in broadcasting and security. He worked in the security industry for many years, including positions with Castle Guard Security, Dallas Security Systems, and All Tech Security. In 2005, he moved into radio, working as a producer and on-air personality for Union Broadcasting, including WHB 810 Sports Talk Radio, KCTE 1510 Hot Talk, KCPL 97.3 The Planet, KCXM 97.3 Max FM, and ESPN 97.3.

From 2007 to 2019, Rod worked for Entercom Broadcasting as a producer and on-air personality at 98.1 KMBZ, working on the Dana & Parks and Jonathan Wier shows. He also worked with Jonathan Wier on the Radio Free Wier with Rod Babcock podcast. Radio gave Rod a place to combine so many of the things he loved most: storytelling, music, humor, creativity, and, most importantly, people. He had an instinct for knowing when a story needed one more detail, one more joke, or one more unexpected turn, and his personality came through whether he was behind the scenes producing a show or sitting behind a microphone himself. The people who listened to Rod got to know the same funny, curious, warm, completely original person that his friends and family knew.

Rod is survived by his wife, Tabatha Babcock, and their son, Roman Babcock; his stepmother, Gail Babcock; his father-in-law, David Birk, and stepmother-in-law, Pam Birk; his brothers Russ Babcock and his wife, Liz; Nick Erickson and his wife, Lori; and Justice Carroll and his wife, Amie; his sister-in-law Amanda Doll and her husband, Derick; and his 18 nieces and nephews, along with countless friends who became family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roger Babcock Sr. and Diana Nelson Sims; his mother-in-law, Sharon Bailey; and his sister-in-law, Stephanie Walker.

Rod never seemed to believe that telling someone you loved them was something that should be saved for a special occasion. He told his family he loved them. He told his friends he loved them. He made sure the people around him knew they mattered. He gave his love freely and without hesitation.

Rod made everyone laugh. It was his greatest gift and his favorite thing to do. His stories, his music, his creativity, his humor, and especially his laugh will live on in the people who knew and loved him.

In lieu of flowers, family and friends are invited to share their memories of Rod on the Speaks website at www.speakschapel.com (Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel (816) 373-3600)