Rev. Charlene Mary Swears Baird

Rev. Charlene Mary Baird passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family July 10, 2019 in hospice care at Scotia Village at the age of 84.

She was born May 9, 1935, in Corinth, NY, the daughter of Howard and Grace Swears.  Valedictorian of the Class of 1952 from Corinth Central School, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in 1956.  She would later graduate from New Brunswick Theological Seminary in 1993 with a Master of Divinity. She also received a Certificate of Fitness for Ministry from the Seminary for the Reformed Church of America and, in addition, received the Dr. and Mrs. Aaron Stillwell Memorial Award.

Her passions were her family, education and ministry.  She began her teaching career as a second grade teacher in South Glens Falls, NY in 1957.  She also taught first grade at Woodbury Central School in Monroe.  For many years, she was the elementary and middle school librarian in the Canajoharie Central School System from 1969 thru 1990.

She also was a proud member of a Peacemaker team under the auspices of the National Council of Churches to the Soviet Union in 1988. She served as Christian educational director at Bellevue Reformed Church, Schenectady and at First Reformed Church, New Brunswick.  Later she became pastor at Mayfield Presbyterian Church, Mayfield, NY in 1993.She also became interim pastor at New Covenant Presbyterian Church, Guilderland, NY and then at Jermain Memorial Presbyterian Church, Watervliet.  She also worked with her late husband, Rev. Baird, as interim pastors in Tinmouth and Castleton, VT before retiring in 2005.  Following retirement, she enjoyed her trips to Scotland and was known at Scotia Village to be a wonderful artist with a warm smile and a kind word to all. 

She will be remembered as an adoring wife to the late Rev. Donald Baird, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  She leaves behind her devoted children, Charles Thomas Cummings, Cary Kim Cross and Dean Craig Cummings and wife Janis, her grandchildren Bradley Cummings and Brian Hart, and her great-grandchildren DeClan and Mylah Hart.  Other surviving loved ones include Lindsey Campbell (fiancé to Brian Hart) and Michael Price.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rev. Charlene Mary Swears Baird, please visit our floral store.