Joan E. Baird

1931 - 2020

Joan Evelyn (Lipton) Baird, 88, of West Hartford, widow of John William Baird, died peacefully of COVID19 on June 12, 2020 at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, New London. Joan was born in Manhattan, New York on October 4, 1931, and was one of two daughters of the late Edith (Sturn) Lipton and Leo Lipton. Joan was raised in Forest Hills, NY, and lived in Queens until 1968 when the family moved to West Hartford when her husband's job was relocated. She made West Hartford her new hometown, although she remained an avid Yankees fan. She worked in women's sportwear at Lord & Taylor in Bishop's Corner, West Hartford, and retired from American Nuclear Insurers where she was the receptionist and purchasing agent. She loved and was devoted to her family and friends who will all miss her dearly. Joan is survived by her daughter and son-in-law: Diane and Richard Duhaime of Port St. Lucie, FL and Old Lyme, CT; son: John William Baird II of Honolulu, Hawaii; three grandchildren: Pamela Ellen of Brooklyn, NY (and her husband, Tim Hill); Patrick Joseph "PJ" Fitzgerald and Paul John Fitzgerald of Queens, NY; great-grandsons: James Baird Hill and Jack Forbes Hill; three nieces: Janice (Montner) Asherman, Sue (Montner) Byrne and Debra (Gelman) Krefsky, and several grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her daughters: Ellen Carol Baird and Victoria Ann Baird, her sister: Doris Montner, and step-sister: Barbara Gelman. A private graveside service will be held at Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford, on Friday, June 19, 2020, at 11:30 AM. Memorial donations in Joan's name may be made to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (http://www.mskcc.org/giving). Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol is honored to serve the Baird family. Please visit Joan's memorial website at www.FunkFuneralHome.com.