Dorothy L. Baird

1927 - 2017

Dorothy L. Baird

January 16, 1927 - March 17, 2017

Dorothy Esther (Lee) Baird passed away early on the morning of March 17, 2017 and went to meet her Lord and Savior. She was born January 16, 1927 in Klamath Falls, OR. She was the sixth of nine children born to Ernest F. and Vicie H. (Benton) Lee. She was preceded in death by her husband Allen Lee Baird, her parents, her five elder siblings: Rachel (Lee) Baird, Melvin, Mervin, Jason, and Eugene Lee; and her grandson, Michael Bair. She is survived by her younger brothers: Alvin, Dale, and Wesley Lee; as well as her four children: Bonnie (Baird) Borodko and Cecil Baird of Salem, OR, Myron Baird of Richland, WA, and Eric Baird of Arcadia, OK; as well as twelve grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Growing up, Dorothy's family relocated all over Oregon as her father was assigned to pastor various Free Methodist churches. She attended Seattle Pacific College and the University of Washington, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree. After her wedding to Allen in 1953, they lived in Micronesia, Eugene, OR, Winnemucca, NV, and Roseburg, OR. She worked for Pacific Northwest Bell for more than 30 years, mostly as a telephone operator. She worked hard to provide for her family in a time before working mothers was the norm. After Allen's death in 1973, Dorothy continued to live in Roseburg for several more years before eventually settling in Salem, OR. After retiring, she continued to be active in her church for many years.

Dorothy was a steadfast friend to many people, and beautifully embodied many of the elements of her faith. Her coworkers, friends, and fellow Christians have all benefited from her desire to care for them. As a pastor's child, she gave special attention to other pastors and their families. Throughout her life, she consistently strove to instill in her children the values that come from a love of Christ. As a result, even lives of people Dorothy didn't directly know have been touched through the things she modeled for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She would have prayed for others to see God's majesty, sovereignty, and deep love in her life and now in her death.

Private interment will be at Brumbaugh Cemetery near Cottage Grove, OR next to her husband and parents. A memorial service and celebration of her life and service to Christ will be held at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service in Salem on April 12 at 1:30 pm. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cff.org, Free Methodist missions at www.fmcusa.org/fmmissions, or the charitable foundation established by her sister Rachel and Allen's brother Blake by googling "Blake and Rachel Baird Charitable Remainder Unitrust 00769".