Iris W. Baird

LANCASTER - Iris W. Baird, 86, died on July 7, 2016 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She was born in Niagara Falls, NY on April 28, 1930, daughter of Forrest Emerson Wilcox and May Taylor. Her mother was born in England and came to American in her late teens. Her father came from an old New England family in western Massachusetts. With excellent academic achievement in her hometown schools, Iris earned a Regents Scholarship that allowed her to attend Syracuse University. She graduated in 1951 after majoring in physics and geography. Through the Syracuse Outing Club, Iris met D. William Baird. They married in 1952 and after time in mill towns in Pennsylvania and Maine, settled in Lancaster, NH, close to the White Mountains where they raised their children. Iris returned to school when her children were older for a education degree. She taught and provided library services for many years in the White Mountains Regional schools. She also taught library sciences for the University System of New Hampshire. Iris and Bill were involved with the Scouts, the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Lancaster Ambulance Corps. They and their children and dogs spent many days in the woods and on the lakes of New England, leading trips, clearing trail, identifying wild flowers and trees, and splashing about. After retirement, they travelled widely, by camper in the United States and Canada; and with various groups overseas, sharing their pictures and stories at the Weeks Memorial Library travel night programs. By Bill's count, they visited twenty-two countries, mostly in Asia, Africa and South America. Iris was also a good amateur archaeologist, digging with the SCRAP Program during summer sessions around the state. But she is probably most widely known for her research on the fire towers of NH. Iris interviewed lookouts, collected locator maps and log books, and published several booklets on this important part of state history. Iris also wrote the Weeks Memorial Library columns for the local newspaper for many years. Iris was predeceased by her husband of sixty-four years. She is survived by her three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild: son David W. and Caryl of Boylston MA, daughter Betsy Baird and David Kumaki of Norway ME, and daughter Katie and Scott Burns of Whitefield NH. Her other descendants are Rebecca Baird Anastasia, her husband Michael and son Oliver Henry of North Billerica MA; David of Denver CO; Karen Baird Kumaki of Boston MA; Alex Baird Kumaki of San Diego CA; and Jennifer Burns of Fairbanks AK and Whitefield NH. The Memorial Service will be held at the Lancaster Congregational United Church of Christ on July 23, 2016 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations might be made to the Weeks Memorial Library.

Iris W. Baird

April 28, 1930 - July 7, 2016