| Former SFTS Auxiliary President Charlotte Baird passes away at 90 |
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Charlotte Baird, former president of the San Francisco Theological Seminary Auxiliary, passed away on Monday, March 21, surrounded by her family. It was her 90th birthday.
The Baird family has deep ties to SFTS dating to the Great Depression. Jesse Hays Baird, Charlotte’s father-in-law, served as Seminary president from 1937-57, the longest tenure of any SFTS president. Charlotte’s mother-in-law, Susanna Baird, founded the SFTS Auxiliary and chaired the successful campaign to raise funds for a women’s dormitory, which was opened in 1950 and named Susanna Baird Hall in her honor.
Charlotte was married to Rev. Dr. Paul Baird, who earned his Master of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity degrees from SFTS in 1942 and 1944 while his father was president. He also received his Doctor of the Science of Theology at SFTS in 1977.
Charlotte and Paul served several churches and worked together in the mission field in Mexico and Arizona. In recent years, Charlotte was a long-time member of Knox Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa and remained very active in Presbyterian Women and the Seminary Auxiliary. For the last 12 years she taught and coordinated the English Improvement Program at Knox.
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, April 9, at 2:30 p.m. at Church of the Roses (2500 Patio Court, Santa Rosa, CA 95405) with a reception following.
Condolences can be sent to the Baird Family at 1945 Piner Road #183, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be directed to Knox Presbyterian Church, 1650 West Third St., Santa Rosa 95401 or to Witness for Peace, 3628 12th St NE, 1st Floor, Washington, D.C. 20017
