CANTON: People describe longtime Canton Councilwoman-at-large Mary Babcock as a person who worked diligently to protect families and anyone who was downtrodden, the underprivileged and senior citizens.“She was the sincerest representative of her constituents. People were very important to her and she respected them,” said Debbie Vanckunas, who worked alongside Mrs. Babcock as a secretary and clerk for Canton City Council.Mrs. Babcock, 88, died peacefully at her home Thursday.Fellow Councilman William Smuckler described her as driven to serve the underdog, and those “she felt didn’t have a voice in government.”Smuckler also said that Mrs. Babcock, who served on council for 24 years, wasn’t afraid to fight for things she believed in. As an example, he cited a time in the 1990s when she orchestrated a hostile takeover of a majority leadership on council by newer members who wanted to take control of important council committees from senior-serving members.“She called me and asked if I would run for majority leader. I told her the vote was already done, but she said we could overthrow that vote and take the majority back on Jan. 1. She said she would help make sure I had enough support to win,” Smuckler said.It wasn’t only altruism that guided her in the successful coup, said Smuckler, but also her desire to retain her chairmanship of council’s Public Safety and Thoroughfares Committee. She wanted to keep her seat to protect families who owned homes that fronted fast-growing Whipple Avenue.“Mary fought for years that those homes didn’t get any closer to that road. She fought the whole state on that,” Smuckler remembered.Mrs. Babcock was born in Canton on April 7, 1923, to the late Otto and Ida Brahler. She graduated from McKinley High School in 1941. She was the wife of a former Canton mayor, the late Charles L. Babcock, to whom she was married for 23 years.She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Canton and the Rosary Altar Society, Stark County Women Democrats, McKinley Booster Club and the Canton Preservation Society. She worked in retail sales at Montgomery Ward.“She went to county fairs, women’s club activities, crime watch meetings, anything that she could to reach out to people,’’ Vanckunas said.Mrs. Babcock is survived by children Nancy (James) Xides, Jim Babcock, Greg Babcock, Doug Babcock, Mark Babcock, and daughter-in-law Delores Babcock, all of Canton, nine grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Canton. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Welch-Sekeres-Lewis Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her name to St. Joseph Catholic Church of Canton.Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.