New Lebanon – Bruce Travis Baldwin, of New Lebanon, NY, died unexpectedly on March 9, 2015 while vacationing with his wife in Australia. He was 73. Bruce was born in Minneapolis on December 2, 1941, and graduated from Mound High School (MN) in 1959. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a medic in Korea.
Following his military service, he graduated from St. Cloud University (SD). He taught English and Theater at Lenox High School (MA) in the early 1970s before opening Baldwin Foreign Auto Repair on Rte. 20 in New Lebanon, where he was well known in the region for repairing Saabs and Volvos. He was a founding member of, and theater director with, the Berkshire Public Theater.
In the mid-1990s he combined his love of both education and automobiles, becoming an automotive instructor at Questar III vocational high school in Hudson (NY). Bruce was strongly committed to public service. He was active in local government, serving as the Supervisor of the Town of New Lebanon from 1988 to 1995, and as a member of the Town Board, most recently from 2007 until his death. His commitment to democratic principles and responsible government were admired by all, even by those who did not agree with his liberal politics. During the past two years, Bruce oversaw the reconstruction of the New Lebanon Town Hall, doing some of the work himself. He directed performances by the Valley Players, a community theater group in New Lebanon whose goal was to raise money for the local high school. He was a volunteer EMT with the Lebanon Valley Protective Association, and an active member of the Lebanon Valley Historical Society. In retirement, he found great joy as a substitute teacher at New Lebanon High School – the school from which his own daughters graduated. He touched the lives of nearly everyone in New Lebanon.
Bruce married Jeannine Tonetti in 1982, and each brought two young daughters to their marriage. They raised their four girls together in a home full of books, tools, classical music, objects from their many travels, and a garage full of classic British sports cars. Upon the death of his brother, Bruce lovingly assumed the role of father and grandfather to his nieces and nephews, in keeping with their Navajo cultural tradition. This role brought him immense happiness and pride. He also frequently travelled to his wife’s ancestral home in northern Italy, where he enjoyed picking grapes, drinking red wine, and visiting with his cherished cugini. He built whimsical lawn sculptures out of scrap metal, was fond of devising slightly dangerous outdoor entertainments for his children and grandchildren, and he could fix almost anything. Bruce enjoyed restoring and driving classic MGs, and he remembered the dates of important family events based on which car he was driving at the time. He could also wiggle his ears. He was generous, open-minded, and adventurous. He was also mischievous, strong-willed, and cantankerous. These traits served him well as the only male in a household of five strong women.
Bruce is survived by Jeannine, his wife and companion-in-adventure for 32 years; his daughters Jessica Wolbert (Anthony) and Nikki O’Farrill (Hector); his step-daughters Gretel Pavao (Justin Shofler) and Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman (Mitchell); and his grandchildren who dearly loved their Papap: Oren, Jonas, Ethan, Benjamin, Evelyn, Sagan, and an expected granddaughter. He is also survived by his sister Joyce Howe (Ed), and his many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Wilbur and Vivien Baldwin, and his brothers, Allen, David, and Robert. His family takes comfort from Bruce’s own words, written for the occasion of his step-daughter’s wedding: “And, indeed, they are all here today within us all – the ancestors have led us from the past, to this moment of the present, and into the future, and the unknown…”
In his memory, donations can be made to the Lebanon Valley Historical Society, P.O. Box 363, New Lebanon, NY 12125. A memorial gathering will be held at 10 am on Saturday, March 28 at the New Lebanon Jr/Sr High School. Friends are invited to share their memories of Bruce at the service.