Baird, Alice J.
EAST GREENBUSH — Alice J. Baird passed away on January 16, 2022, at Loudonville Home for Adults.
Born in 1920, Alice celebrated her 101st birthday on December 3, 2021. Raised in Cohoes, she was the daughter of the late Francois and Herminie (Dussault) Fortin and was the beloved wife of the late Joseph F. Baird. Alice and Joe married in 1944, and were inseparable partners in all of life’s adventures until his death in 1999.
Alice graduated from the former Keveny Memorial Academy in Cohoes and began her career at Montgomery Ward. In 1946, she went to work in the accounting department of the N.Y. Telephone Company (now Verizon) retiring in 1978, after 32 years of service. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America (Albany Life Member Club). After retirement, she and her husband moved to Myrtle Beach, S.C. and later to Melbourne, Fla., returning to live in the Capital District in 1998.
Alice and Joe were tireless volunteers for many religious and civic groups. They were members of Holy Spirit Parish in East Greenbush, where they chaired fundraising efforts to build a new school and convent. There, Alice served as a lector and also staffed a nursery school program to entertain small children during church services. She was a member and past president of Holy Spirit’s Rosary Society. In Florida and South Carolina, she volunteered at local military bases and food pantries. She was also a member of the Southern Tier Senior Center in Schodack.
Alice was a talented seamstress, making many of her own clothes and designing clothes for many others. She and Joe traveled frequently, spending many extended vacations in Hawaii and enjoying music, especially at Broadway theaters. In later years, she read extensively, did crossword puzzles and kept up with family and friends.
Alice was predeceased by her husband, and her sisters, Marie Mayo, Cecile Galentino and Frances Biette. She is survived by her sisters-in-law, Doris Felts and Geraldine Baird; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Alice’s family wishes to extend special thanks to the staff at the Loudonvillle Home for Adults for the loving care provided to her since 2015. They made her a home and loved her as their own.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the William J. Rockefeller Funeral Home, 165 Columbia Turnpike, Rensselaer.
Services will be held privately at the convenience of the family. Interment will be in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Waterford.
The family has requested that contributions in Alice’s memory be made to CONCERNS-U, 50 Herrick St., Rensselaer, NY, 12144.
Power Laboratory in Niskayuna.
An avid outdoorsman, Mike enjoyed mountain activities such as camping, hiking, canoeing, skiing, volleyball and nature photography. After his retirement from KAPL, he worked for the Whiteface Mountain Ski Patrol, was an ambassador at Stowe Mountain, and was a groundskeeper at the Edison Club in Rexford. He was an active member of the Out of Control Ski Club, where he made many lifelong friends. He also enjoyed listening to music, including his favorite band, the Grateful Dead.
Michael is survived by his siblings, Thomas (Deborah) Baker, Richard Baker, David (Maryann) Baker, Daniel (Julie) Baker and Susanne (Thomas) Clark; his cherished nieces and nephews, Eric (Kristen) Baker, Mark Baker, Jessica Baker, Rachael (DJ) Clark and Brandon Clark; his two great-nieces, Georgia and Savannah Centofanti; aunts, uncles and many, many lifelong friends.
Calling hours will be from 1 to 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, January 23, at the Glenville Funeral Home, 9 Glenridge Rd., Glenville, followed by a celebration of life held at 3 p.m. The service will be livestreamed at facebook. com/glenvillefuneralhome.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to any of the following: Double H Hole in the Wall Ranch at www.doublehranch .org, STRIDE Adaptive Sports at www.stride.org, Out of Control Ski Club at www.ocskiclub.org, and Johnsburg E.M.S. at johnsbu rgemergencysquad.com.
Online condolences may be expressed to the Baker family at Glenvillefuneralhome. com.