Obituary: Dennis Babbs dies aged 83

Dennis Babbs, a former mill manager and president and captain of Rochdale Golf Club, has died at the age of 83.

Mr Babbs, who lived in Norden, was born in Barrow-in-Furness. He lived there until his parents moved to find work in Preston and then Leyland.

At the age of 14, Mr Babbs went to work in textile mills and started to train in textile technology. He later went on to study at Manchester University on an
industrial matriculation sponsored by Lancashire County Council.

Mr Babbs came to Rochdale in 1956 and worked for Tweedale and Smalleys and Turner Brothers before joining Courtaulds as the manager of its cotton and modified spinning development section.

In 1966 he became manager of Mutual Mills in Heywood and went on to become its Managing Director.

He also became the Managing Director of Lister Yarns Division.

During his career, he was heavily involved in developing and bringing to market many blends of fibres used throughout the textile world.

Mr Babbs became a Fellow of the Textile Institute in 1968 and in 1981 and was awarded with the institute medal for his services.

He became president of the British Textile Employers Association in 1975 and was also a trustee and chairman of the War Memorial Trust.

Mr Babbs leaves his wife Edna, who he married in 1956, his two children, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and his four grandchildren.

His funeral took place on Monday 2 March at St Paul’s Church, Norden.