Mary Elizabeth Kelly Baker

Mary Elizabeth Kelly Baker
Sept. 21, 1915 - Nov. 22, 2010
Only her heart knew she was 95.
On November 22, Mary Elizabeth Kelly Baker died suddenly in her big chair at home at the end of a wonderful day spent with her daughters, Bonnie and Mollie. Recovering from a heart attack suffered on November 17, she had been home for just three days, but felt well enough to get up, eat a terrifi c dinner, and sit laughing and telling stories in her family room. All who knew her believed Mary would never leave us; she was so bright and active and funny, and in spite of her advanced age, she remained forever young.

On September 21, 1915, in Spokane, WA, Mary Elizabeth became the eighth of nine children born to Carthage Kelly, originally of Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland, and Elizabeth Roche Kelly, born in New York to parents who immigrated from the very same Irish neighborhood in Lismore. The last surviving member of the family, Mary was preceded in death by her siblings Anastasia, Kathleen, Thomas, John, William, Joseph, Edward, and Robert. Celebrating the Kelly clan was a vital aspect of Mary’s entire life; she loved all the weddings, wakes, graduations and reunions for her brothers, sisters, in-laws, and three generations of nieces and nephews. Extremely proud of her heritage, Mary’s favorite holiday was Saint Patrick’s Day, and among her colorful repertoire of jokes, limericks and blessings was her irrefutable claim,“If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough!”

Mary graduated from Holy Names Academy in Spokane (1936) and then earned her teaching certifi cate from Eastern Washington State College. She held elementary positions in Ewan, Colfax, Mockonema, and Spokane through 1942; after the war and the births of her girls, she taught nearly every grade in her beloved “Little Red School,” Endicott Elementary (1952-1966).In the 1960’s, Mary returned to college to earn her Masters of Arts degree at Washington State University.

Miss Mary Kelly became Mrs. Robert A. Baker in 1940, and the vibrant young couple established quite a reputation on the dance fl oors and softball fi elds of Colfax. Bob enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1943; fi nding employment in Civilian Personnel, Mary accompanied him to Camp Cook, CA and Camp Adair, OR. When her husband was deployed to Europe, Mary worked in Santa Barbara, CA, and remained there until the war was over. Bob Baker returned from his service in 1945, and in 1946 – leading the great Baby Boom – their fi rst daughter, Bonnie Kathleen, was born. Mollie Eileen made her entrance in 1949, and the family settled in Colfax, WA. Surrounded by relatives from both the Kelly and Baker sides, Bonnie and Mollie thrived in the company of scores of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Refl ecting on her twenty years there, Mary embraced the concept, “It takes a village,” where everyone knows everyone and all of the families participate in raising all of the kids. So it was in Colfax!

Mary’s enduring passion for golf and bridge began in Washington among diverse groups of people – most of whom remained her lifelong friends. Bob and Mary also pursued the art of ballroom dancing, studying with Arthur Murray Studios and teaching lessons to high school and elementary students throughout Whitman County. Hundreds of eager but somewhat reluctant kids learned to love the fox trot, waltz, cha-cha, swing and bunny hop as presented by the Bakers. The Colfax years afforded Mary many opportunities to hit the stage – sometimes an actress in community productions, sometimes a model in local style shows, and often the musical director of school plays and Camp Fire Girls’ programs. She loved to entertain for and perform with family, friends and colleagues; from a well-rehearsed, gaily performed Charleston with her husband, Bob, to a spontaneous late-night, pajama-clad jitterbug or hokey-pokey with her girls, Mollie and Bonnie, Mary celebrated life in all its tones, harmonies, melodies and moods. And celebrations, gatherings and parties were frequent, reunions and holidays always lively and large. Without exception, each occasion began with warm welcomes and broad smiles, erupted into contagious fi ts of laughter, and then crescendoed to a full-throttled Jelly Roll Morten piano boogie, some big band song and dance, raucous jokes and Irish tall tales. At evening’s end, surrounded at the piano by her family and friends, Mary would lead all the voices in her lifelong favorite lilting lullaby, “When Irish Eyes are Smiling.”

After a painful divorce in 1960, Mary and the girls remained in Colfax for six years. A brief marriage to Harold Huber in 1966 brought her to California, where she secured a teaching position in the Modesto High School English Department. To most, the transition from a small rural K-8 school to a teeming, urban secondary institution would be daunting; the number of students attending Modesto High School exceeded the entire population of Endicott! Mary loved it: the joyous and supportive camaraderie of her colleagues, the energetic and diverse nature of her students, and the challenging literary elements of her curriculum – including favorite authors Shakespeare, Steinbeck, Yeats, and Wordsworth. Mary’s friendships forged at Modesto High among teachers, administrators, and staff remained clear and true and utterly cherished until the day she died.

Living in California meant almost year-round golf, and Mary took full advantage. She belonged to a number of local clubs and ladies’ groups including the Muni-Niners and Escalon Chippers. For over thirty years in Modesto, she appreciated the constant challenge of the course and the friendly competition among her companions. Mary’s only real regret about growing older came when she had to give up the sport she loved so dearly and settle for armchair commentary on the televised tournaments. She faithfully followed her favorite golf pros cheering and commiserating as they traveled “from the sublime to the rather unfortunate.”

Since playing bridge requires a quick mind and strong memory, Mary excelled at the game. Until November of this year, she played regularly with her MHS Pajarro friends, the Catholic ladies’ club, and her mixed couples group. Not only was she a desirable partner for the most fi ercely competitive player, but also an articulate and patient teacher for the enthusiastic beginner. She and her good friend of 44 years, Rita, taught Bonnie and Mollie the intricacies of the game and this was to be passed on to her grandson Josh who shared Mary’s love of cards and competition. “Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny.”

While Mary’s life in Modesto was full and rewarding, it took on a dazzling new dimension in 1976 when her one and only grandchild was born to Mollie and Bruce Edwards of St. Helena, CA. Josh Kelly Edwards and his grandma became fast friends and traveling companions. Beginning when Josh was only four, he and Mary made annual summer road trips to the great Northwest, visiting relatives and family friends, and exploring the haunts of grandma’s youth. From Hayden Lake to Hauser, Colfax to Natatorium Park, the two spirited travelers formed a strong loving bond that was sustained, protected and cherished by both. On March 17, 2011, Josh, Mollie and Bonnie will take a sentimental journey back to Washington, back to her place of birth, back to the Kelly clan. And there, her daughters, grandson, nieces and nephews will celebrate in the Irish tradition: with a wink and an all-knowing nod, a toast will be raised to Mary Kelly Baker on St. Patrick’s Day.

The doormat leading into Mary’s Modesto home reads Céad Míle Fáilte, which in Gaelic means one hundred thousand welcomes. That Irish sentiment perfectly sums up Mary’s generosity of spirit. She opened her heart and her door to nearly everyone she met, and she genuinely gave her attention – whether by a hand-written card, a phone call, a well-chosen gift, or her actual presence – to honor each friend’s or relative’s triumphs and tragedies. It’s no wonder Mary’s mailbox has been so full lately; it seems she had a hundred thousand admirers.

An Irish wake to celebrate Mary’s life will be held in late January or early February with notifi cation of time and place published in The Modesto Bee. Donations in her honor may be made to the Modesto Gospel Mission or Endless Possibilities/The Loan Closet. Please share your memories at www.modbee.com/ obituaries or allenmortuary.com