Karen Baldwin

Karen Baldwin/ Dr. Karen Baldwin, 64, died at her home Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007. A memorial service in the Quaker tradition, which will provide opportunity for remembering and celebrating Karen's life, will be held Saturday, Dec. 1, from 2-4 p.m. in the Great Rooms of Mendenhall Student Center at East Carolina University. The daughter of James Marshall Baldwin and Lois Solley Baldwin, Karen grew up in suburban Philadelphia. She was a member of the Providence Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends in Media, Pa. She graduated from Darby High School in Darby, Pa., and from Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. She received an M.A. degree in folklore from the University of Pennsylvania in 1966 and a Ph.D. degree in folklore from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975. From 1968-69, she studied in Denmark on a Marshall Fellowship. She was a faculty member at Wayne State University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst before joining the English Department at East Carolina University, where she served as professor of folklore for the last 30 years. In addition to her inspiring work as a teacher, Karen presented and published in her field both nationally and internationally, was editor of the North Carolina Folklore Journal, Director of the North Carolina Studies Program, and Director of the ECU Folklore Archive. To acknowledge Karen's development of the archive, the archive has been renamed "The Karen Baldwin North Carolina Folklore Archive." Karen had a wide range of interests and accomplishments, both as an educator and within her community. She was passionate about preserving our cultural and natural world and was well known for her love of nature, desire for social justice, and deep caring for her students and friends. Karen is survived by her husband, Ernest Marshall, her sister Tracy Baldwin, her brother David Baldwin, her son James Marshall, daughter Stephanie, and four grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, you may send donations to the North Carolina Nature Conservancy, One University Place, Suite 290, 4705 University Drive, Durham, NC 27707, or The Friends of the East Carolina University Folklore Archive, Department of English, 2201 Bate Building, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858. Please write checks to East Carolina University, c/o Friends of the ECU Folklore Archive.