by Kym Byrnes
Dads can sneak life lessons into everyday moments — whether over a Saturday morning pancake flip or during a driveway chat while teaching you to parallel park. In celebration of Father’s Day, we’ve asked local leaders and officials to help us recognize those classic dad-isms, timeless bits of advice and examples of living life with integrity that their dads gave them. The answers are funny, touching and deeply personal — proof that, sometimes, a few words from dad can reverberate across a lifetime.
Caroline Babylon
Executive director of Carroll County Food Sunday
“Loyalty, generosity, hospitality and service to community are the life examples that I received from my father, David S. Babylon Jr. Dad served his country during World War II and then served his community as a firefighter, Westminster city councilman, member of the Lions Club, church leader, board member and friend to many. As a child, if we were selling Girl Scout cookies, he was encouraging us and sharing contacts and buyer suggestions. If we were raising money for band uniforms at the football game, he was beside us in the crowd with information and a collection container. Later he helped with fundraising for 4H Therapeutic Riding Program when we built the riding arena at the Agriculture Center. Dad passed away in 2006, but his commitment to his country, community, family and friends lives on in each of his four children and in the many community improvements he has helped make happen in our community.”
Tara Battaglia
President, Carroll County Board of Education
“The best advice I received from my dad is ‘always keep your vehicle clean and well-maintained. When you take care of your vehicle, it will take care of you.’ My dad takes a lot of pride in his vehicles. He always keeps them clean and gets routine maintenance done. Growing up, my dad would spend the weekends cleaning the family vehicle. Anyone who knows my dad knows he always has a clean car or truck.”
Jim DeWees
Carroll County Sheriff
“My father was a union carpenter and a Vietnam combat veteran who died of Agent Orange back in 2012. He was a good man and was full of advice. As I rose through the ranks of the state police (he never knew me as the sheriff), he would always tell me that he had some really good commanders in the Army who knew how to take care of young soldiers. He often told me to take care of the men and women that work for you, even at your own peril, and they’ll go to war for you! He often said if you’re going to lead people, you’re not going to always make them happy. Only an ice cream salesman makes everyone happy for a living.”
Garrett Hoover
President & Chief Operating Officer, Carroll Hospital; Senior Vice President, LifeBridge Health
“My father made sacrifices and taught me the value of hard work. He had an electrical construction company and was also a gentleman farmer. As I was growing up and involved in a lot of sports, he would say, ‘Garrett, there’s no free lunch. There’s a time to work and a time to play, and now is not the time to play.’ Although I had difficulty understanding it when I was growing up, I credit my work ethic and attitude to him — great things happen from hard work, perseverance and no excuses. In spite of the tough exterior, he was one of the most generous people I’ve known, even though we weren’t wealthy by any means. As a young boy, I would see him talk to a drifter on the street, give him a $10 bill and say, ‘Lunch is on me today.’ Or, we’d be in a restaurant, and he’d pay for someone’s meal. I would ask him if he knew them, and he’d quietly say, ‘No, but they seemed like a nice family, and I just wanted to lend a helping hand.’ He believed in paying it forward. Honesty and integrity were time-honored values; if you shook his hand, it was like a binding contract.”
Dr. Mark Olszyk
Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Carroll Hospital
“My dad, who spent his life behind the wheel of a truck, would look over at me and say, ‘Life’s going to throw some challenges your way. The important thing isn’t avoiding them — it’s how quickly you pick yourself up and keep moving forward.’ I got what he was saying, but as I grew older, I understood it even more. He grew up rough. My grandad was a coal miner, putting in long hours underground, dying early and leaving my grandma with 12 kids. My dad saw the world for what it was: not always fair and always unpredictable. But he also saw that the only thing you could control was how you responded to it. Years later, I’d come across Marcus Aurelius’ ‘Meditations.’ In his writings, he talks about how life is full of things we can’t control, but how we choose to respond to those things defines us. It’s a mindset that echoed what my dad had always said. Just like Marcus Aurelius advised, it’s not about avoiding adversity but learning to rise above it with dignity. My dad’s advice wasn’t just about toughing it out — it was about showing up and doing the work, no matter how heavy the load.”
Neal C. Roop
Former Mayor of New Windsor
“I’m not sure my dad gave me verbal advice. However, I think he showed me his advice by the way he lived his life. Growing up working with my dad at Roops Grocery, I quickly learned that there are no shortcuts in hard work, and my dad made sure of that. Whether we were stocking shelves, waiting on customers, delivering groceries in New Windsor and Westminster or bagging penny candy, he always emphasized the importance of providing great customer service and having pride in what we do. Another way he lived his life was by being involved in the community. He was a councilman and mayor for 25 years, a charter member of the fire department and very active with the New Windsor Lions Club. I guess you could say I truly have followed in my dad’s footsteps.”
Larry Hushour
Mayor of Mount Airy
“My dad inspired all three of his kids through setting an example. He was incredibly patient and always found a way to make us engage in projects such as repairing and maintaining cars, plumbing in the house, home electrical or building pinewood derbies or sheds or even a building. He made us get our hands dirty. He showed us that we didn’t need to call anyone else to fix most things. When we weren’t fixing things, he was teaching us about the outdoors. Scouting provided countless opportunities to hike, fish, play in streams, rock climb, ride horses and gun safety. Dad was a Scout leader even after all of us became adults. My parents planted the seed in us to stand on our own feet, take care of family and never let others keep you from achieving your goals.”
Christopher Miller
Mayor of Taneytown
“One of the primary things I learned from my dad growing up was never to have someone do something you wouldn’t do yourself. If you aren’t willing to do something, you can’t expect others to do it. The harder the job, the more you need to set that example. I’ve applied this at various points in my life and believe it still holds strong for what I do today.”
