D. William Baird

LANCASTER - D. William Baird, 92, died on 19 February at the Country Village Center in Lancaster. He was born in Philadelphia PA on September 4, 1923, son of Walter Baird and A. Elizabeth Baird. His father was born in England and came to America in his teens. His mother was a descendant of the Wynne family, of the earliest settlers in Pennsylvania.

Bill attended schools in Pennsylvania and New York. After graduation from the Watkins Glen High School he enrolled at the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University.

He enlisted n the Army in early 1943 and was assigned to the 76

th

Division, which fought across northern Europe. After hostilities in the European Theatre concluded he spent some time in England at the Army College at Shrivenham, and returned home and was discharged in June of 1946.

He returned to Syracuse to complete his degree in pulp and paper technology. There he met Iris M. Wilcox, whom he married after she graduated from Syracuse University. They both had strong ties to the outdoors and were active in the Outing Club at the college.

After working in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maine, the pair found their ideal situation in northern New Hampshire, very near the Presidential Range. Bill worked at Groveton Papers in various supervisory capacities. Here they raised their three children.

Bill and Iris were involved with the Scouts, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Lancaster Ambulance Corps. They led summer and winter hiking trips, cut and cleared trail, especially that on the west side of Percy Peak. Bill and his Scouts laid out and cleared the alternate "Notch" route up the mountain, avoiding the worst of the steep rock slabs.

For over three decades Bill was responsible for updating the North Country section of the AMC White Mountain Guide, which involved measuring trail distances, clearing blowdown and generally monitoring trail conditions.

After he retired, Bill and Iris traveled widely, by camper in the United States and Canada, and with various groups overseas. By his count they visited twenty-two countries, mostly in Asia, Africa and South America. For several years he shared his experiences at the Weeks Library travel night programs.

Bill is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, and his three children and five grandchildren: son David W. and Caryl of Boylston MA, daughter Betsy and David Kumaki of Norway ME, and daughter Katie and Scott Burns of Whitefield. NH.

The grandchildren are Rebecca Baird Anastasia and her husband Mike of N Billerica MA, David III, of Boulder, Colorado, and Boylston MA; Karen  Baird Kumaki of Boston MA, Alex Baird Kumaki of San Diego CA, and Jennifer Burns of Fairbanks, Alaska and Whitefield. NH.

Memorial services will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers gifts might be made to the Weeks Memorial Library.