Martha Louise Baier, 87 of Maple
Avenue, Ipswich, wife of the late Clarence W. Baier ,
Jr., died Wednesday, June 30, 2010 in the Beverly Hospital following
her brief illness.
Born May 9, 1923 in Wakefield,
daughter of the late Willis M. and Elizabeth M. (Gorton) Randall,
she was raised in Reading and was a graduate of Reading public
schools and the Catherine Gibbs School in Boston where she began her
career as an Administrative Assistant. Her employers included the
Rhode Island School of Design, the American Pharmaceutical
Association, and the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute where
she worked until her retirement.
Married to Clarence W. Baier, Jr.
in 1946, they made their way to Northern Virginia where they settled
and raised four imperfect children. Throughout her life, Martha’s
interest in gardens, gardening and design prevailed. She had a love
for fine art, classical music and theater. Martha’s strong sense of
social justice led to her involvement with prisoner mentoring,
women’s rights and speaking out against oppression throughout the
world. Following her husband’s death in 1990, she moved to Mont
Vernon, NH and in 2008 to Ipswich.
She is survived by a son, Randal E.
Baier and his wife Betsy of Manchester, MI, three daughters,
Meridith Baier of Brewster, Tevis Baier and her husband Mark Murdock
of Santa Fe, NM, and Meryl Baier of Ipswich, and five grandchildren,
Nicholas and Addie Baier, both of Manchester, MI, Cameron and Ben
Murdock, both of Santa Fe, NM, and Raina Baier of Ipswich. She was
predeceased by two brothers.
A celebration of Martha’s life will
be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers memorial
contributions in her name may be made to Bright Happy Power (www.brighthappypower.org),
The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org), or the Greater Boston Food
Bank (www.gbfb.org).
