Mary Roush Baxter

Mary Roush Baxter
Virginia Beach - Mary Roush Baxter, 88, died Thursday, October 10, 2013 after a long illness. She was born in Indianapolis, IN, raised in Bronxville, NY, the daughter of the late Jesse Albert Roush and Christine Wagoner Roush West. She graduated from Bronxville High School and Barnard College, New York, NY.
During her time in New York, Mrs. Baxter worked as a reporter for the Bronxville News and as a copy runner for Time magazine. Blessed with an excellent singing voice, she starred in many amateur and professional musicals, and appeared in a movie.
Mrs. Baxter devoted her life to the care of children. She was an elementary school teacher, and taught at Sacred Heart Catholic School in the 1950s and in the Virginia Beach Public Schools in the 1960s, educating 4th grade students at Shelton Park Elementary School. At the age of 50, Mrs. Baxter pursued a life long dream to become a nurse, caring for children at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters until her retirement. After retiring, she volunteered in the literacy program in Virginia Beach. Mrs. Baxter was a Girl Scout leader in Virginia and California. During her husband's posting to the American Embassy in Warsaw, Poland from 1961-1963, Mrs. Baxter founded an international Girl Scout troop, with girls from 14 nations joining. The troop attracted the attention of Lady Baden Powell, wife of the founder of the Scouts and Girl Guides, who visited the troop in its second year.
Mrs. Baxter was the first wife of the late CAPT James Arthur Baxter, and the mother of the late Mary "Molly" Roush Baxter. She is survived by her sister, Cynthia Reik of Hartford, CT; daughters Elizabeth Baxter and Christine Philput, and son-in-law Donald Philput; grandchildren G. James Philput (and his wife Miranda Ruddick) and Katherine G. Baxter of Rock, West Virginia; and great-grandchildren Lucas Philput, Kai Baxter-Smith, and Julia Philput.
A memorial service will be held for Mrs. Baxter at Old Donation Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 12:30. The family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made to The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, 199 Water Street, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10038 or at alzinfo.org.