Raija L. Babcock, 66, of Derry, NH passed away Tuesday, November 22, 2016, surrounded by her loving family at Parkland Medical Center of Derry. Mrs. Babcock was born June 24, 1950 in Varkaus, Finland and was a daughter of the late Alpo and Aune ( Poutanen ) Tiirikainen. She was born and raised in Finland but moved to the States in her twenties and has been a resident of Derry for the past 40 years.
Raija was a homemaker and a loving wife, mother, sister and friend, who lived for her family, especially her five beloved grandchildren. She enjoyed reading, gardening, painting, and warm weather, especially at the family cottage on Lake Ontario.
Members of the family include her husband of 40 years, Henry “Bert” Babcock, of Derry, a son and his wife, Mika and Emily Babcock of Derry, a daughter and her husband, Nina and Jim Kapenas of San Diego, CA, five grandchildren, Jack, Matthew, Maeve, Nicholas and Jamesie, and her sisters, Pirjo Pohjolainen and Tarja Reponen, both of Finland.
After cremation, memorial calling hours were held on Sunday, November 27, 2016 from 1 to 4 pm at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch Street, Derry, NH. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the American Cancer Society (https://donate.cancer.org).