Barbara "Baker" Ide

Barbara Lucille (Baker) Ide, 91, beloved wife of Richard F. Ide, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Barbara was born in Port Chester, New York, the daughter of the late Ralph and Armella (Bergen) Baker on June 8, 1934. She grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, graduating from Hall High School. She attended Saint Joseph College, also in West Hartford, earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1957. She married the love of her life, Richard Ide, and they shared 62 years of marriage. They settled in West Hartford and raised their family.

Barbara began her career working at the VNA. She took several years off when she started her family. She returned to work when her youngest child was in school. Her professional focus became geriatric nursing, and she worked at Church Homes Inc., eventually becoming the Assistant Director of Nursing. During that time, she went back to school and earned her Nursing Home Administrator's License in 1976. When her children graduated from high school, she left Church Homes and changed her professional focus to psychiatric nursing. She worked for 10 years at Cedarcrest Hospital as a Head Nurse until she retired to enjoy more time with her husband and family.

Barbara was an incredibly kind and caring person and never had an unkind word to say about anyone. She put family and friends first and would always find a way to help when anyone needed her. She was a wonderful wife, mother, daughter and friend. As she traveled through her life, she enjoyed camping with her family when her children were young, summers by the lake when they got older and winters in Florida when she retired. She especially loved the warm, sunny winters in Florida. Many of her friends also wintered in Florida, and they formed a "Red Hats" group. Together they enjoyed trips, meals and many adventures over the years. Later on, she and Dick joined the community at Village Gate in Farmington, CT where they made many friends and spent the final years of their retirement.

Barbara will be lovingly remembered by her three children: Brenda Watson and her husband James; Richard Ide and his husband Matthew Mirisola; and Gretchen Bilodeau and her husband Scott. She will also be missed by her grandchildren: Sarah (Watson) Sawyer and her husband Thomas; James Watson and his wife Denise; Mary (Watson) Plesser and her husband Devon; Erica (Bilodeau) Kurtin and her husband Kristofer; Mark Watson and his fiancée Joy Krasner; and Renee (Bilodeau) Kleszcz and her husband Richard. She also leaves seven great-grandchildren: Kristen, Elisabeth and Thomas Sawyer; Daniel and Sadie Plesser; and Tyler and Cooper Kurtin.

Barbara's family would like to recognize the special kindness and care shown to her by her caregiver and companion, Joyce Myers. Joyce's compassionate care and friendship greatly enriched Barbara's life. Barbara will be deeply missed by family and by all who knew her.

A calling hour will be Saturday, February 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home 1084 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford, followed by an 11:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Brigid Church, directly across the street from the funeral home. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com