Irene C. Baird, D.Ed.

I am so very sorry to hear of Irene´s passing. I met Irene while working in my master´s degree at PS- Harrisburg. She was a breath of fresh air, sassy, and always there to listen and help you find your path. Irene you will be sorely missed!

Mrs. Baird, as she will forever be to me, was the reason that I attended Smith College. She was my mentor and supporter and became a lifelong friend to my mom and me. I will miss her. My deepest sympathies to her daughters.

I became acquainted with Dr. Baird in the early 1990's, through taking a class at Penn State/downtown Harrisburg. What a wonderful, intelligent, insightful woman she was. My condolences to the family.

My heart hurts, Irene. We talked about my New England trip and how I was going to visit your hometown of Ware, MA and bring back pictures to share. I´m here now and you are not. I will miss our lunches, our conversations about politics, family, women´s issues, personal history, current events, your next writing project, our time working together on a project. Thank you for seeing me through our doctoral classes and comps. You´re the only study partner I ever had in my entire academic life!...

A big Thank You to Irene for sharing her time and passion to the inmates at Dauphin County Prison over many years. She helped the inmates to gain an appreciation and understanding of literature and to create their own.

Dr. Baird became a friend and mentor during my tenure at PSU HBG. I lost track of her in recent years, but her influence will remain a part of me forever. From her magenta hair and fashion style, to her love of all things possible for women, she left an impact for the better in this community. God bless you, Irene. Thank you for the good you have provided to many.

Irene was such an inspiration for her gentle spirit, her intelligence, her wit (man, she could be funny), and her unflinching activism. I'm grateful to have known her. If we could each accomplish a tenth of the kind of positive impacts she made in her life, the world would be significantly changed and improved.

Irene served on my dissertation committee in 2007, and her smile and fashion style lit up the room. She was creative, determined, and packed with energy. We will all miss her, but her legacy lives on.

We have lost a most remarkable woman. Irene had a big personality and was a brilliant, powerful woman packed into a tiny body. For Irene's daughters: She spoke of you with great pride. My most sincere condolences to both of you