Dr. Marie Elizabeth Babich

Marie Elizabeth Babich, MD, age 100, died peacefully on February 5, 2025, in Sacramento. Her husband of 65 years, John Marion Babich, MD, died in 2015. They had five children: Marree, Judy and Maggie of Sacramento, John (Linda) of Charlotte, NC, and Jennie, who died in 2020, as well as three grandchildren: Emma and Grant of Charlotte, NC, and Aidan of New York City. 

She was born and raised in Westville, IL, and graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. During WWII, she earned her wings in the WASP. She received her MD degree at the University of Illinois-Chicago Medical School and completed her internship and residency in medicine at Sacramento County Hospital, where she met her husband. She was the first female intern in the hospital’s history, as prior to WWII, few women were accepted into medical schools. She practiced general medicine at local schools and clinics, including Sacramento County Hospital, which later became the University of California-Davis Medical Center, and at Sacramento State College. 

She and her husband, under the sponsorship of the Catholic Medical Mission Board, served two terms as medical missionaries in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. Marie served on the first elected board of the Sacramento City Unified School District. 

She and her husband traveled extensively and were avid art collectors. They commissioned a bronze statue entitled Asclepius and Pain by Helen Post, which was donated to Mercy Hospital in Sacramento, where it is featured in the hospital’s Healing Garden. Marie and John gave generously to individuals in need and to local, national, and international charities too numerous to list. 

Marie will be laid to rest with her husband John in a private ceremony at St. Mary’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, Mercy Foundation, Sacramento Food Bank, or to a charity of your choice.