John Baldwin

BANGOR - John Delbert Baldwin died on January 5, 2015. He was born, the fifth of six children, on May 19, 1922 in Lunenburg, MA to Angus Baldwin and Wilhelmina (Cail) Baldwin.

John and his five siblings were blessed with a loving mother and a devoted father. Angus died in 1935 when John was 13. During their high school years he and his brother, Bob, stayed with their mother helping out with boarders to ‘make ends meet’. Their hi-jinks caused her much concern and laughter. His mother died in 1969.

World War II saw John in Australia as a Navy medic. He finished his music education degree at Boston University, then traveled to Michigan for his first teaching position. He was recalled to the Navy for the Korean War. After serving he was hired to teach music in Mapleton, Maine where he met the love of his life and life-long companion, Ruey Stevens Baldwin.

John was a music teacher and principal at Gorham Elementary School in Gorham, NH from 1954 to 1963. During those years he worked in the summer months for the National Forest Service at Dolly Camp Campground. He then became principal at Lakeway Elementary School in Littleton, NH from 1963 to 1972, in addition, he was very involved with the Congregational Church in Littleton where he served as a Choir Director and a Deacon. He earned his Master's degree and his CAS at the University of Maine while in Gorham and Littleton. He worked as Superintendent of Schools in Lee, Maine from 1972 to 1982. He was a member of the Lincoln Congregational Church and spent many happy hours with the church choir. He has had the pleasure of being a member of the Hammond Street Congregational Church in Bangor over the past 10 years, where he has witnessed and participated in their supportive and open atmosphere.

He was 92 years young, still volunteering at EMMC two weeks before he died! For the past 34 years he spent a great deal of time with his wife at their camp on Flagstaff Lake. Building that camp was “one of the best decisions of his life, second only to marrying his wife.” One of his greatest enjoyments was music, particularly classical and the jazz of the 1940’s and 1950’s. One can picture him where he is now singing in the chorus with Ella Fitzgerald and Harry Belafonte or consulting with Mozart and JS Bach.

He was predeceased by his wife, Ruey Whittier (Stevens) Baldwin, and his siblings. He is survived by his son Myron and wife, Yvonne, his daughter Ruey Yehle and husband, Ken, four grandchildren: Jason, Matthew, Elizabeth, and Jeremy, and numerous great grandchildren. His family would like to thank all of those who made his life enjoyable in the past few years since Ruey passed; Dr. Ken Simone, residents and employees at Sunbury Village, members of the Hammond Street Congregational Church, the music department at Hampden Academy, and various friends.

We will miss him but will see him later.

Funeral services will be held 10am, Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the Hammond Street Congregational Church, 28 High Street, Bangor, with the Rev. Dr. Mark Doty, officiating. Contributions in his memory can be made to: The Gifts of Music, P.O. Box 264, Orrington, ME 04474 for music scholarships and instruments for the children of the Greater Bangor Area; or Flagstaff Memorial Chapel, c/o Kenny Wing, PO Box 35, Eustis, Maine 04936 to support the memorial for Flagstaff, Maine. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.