Vianna Rose Baird Was Artistic, Faithful Person

After a beautiful snowfall, Vianna Rose (Perry) Baird died peacefully at the home of her youngest daughter in the early morning hours of Feb. 20, 2003. She was a longtime resident of Oak Bluffs, and her homestead on Circuit avenue was open to anyone in need. During her last 18 months she lived at Hillside Village II in Vineyard Haven.

Vianna was one week short of her 78th birthday. She was the wife of the late Arthur Freeman Baird of Oak Bluffs. Anna was born on Feb. 28, 1926 in West Milton, N.H., the daughter of the late Charles Everett and Ruth Wing Perry. She settled on Martha's Vineyard as a young bride in 1946.

Vianna grew up on a farm in New Hampshire and always loved the outdoors. She knew the names of nearly all the wild flowers and birds of New England. After being a full-time mother and raising eight children, Anna developed a hobby of painting beautiful birds and scenery pictures in oils and acrylics, many of which she showed in Island art shows at the Tabernacle each summer.

She also spent many hours in her vegetable and flower gardens, and grew miniature fruit trees. She enjoyed and never missed the annual plant sale at Felix Neck Sanctuary. Vianna was also an avid racing fan of the televised NASCAR races, perhaps because she enjoyed driving and didn't get her license until she was in her fifties.

Anna enjoyed being with her family and church friends. After many years as a homemaker, she took employment in the town of Oak Bluffs as a custodian of the town hall and the Public Library. She also worked for many years at the Captain Henry Colt House in Edgartown and at the Oak Bluffs School cafeteria.

Vianna was a member of the Vineyard Assembly of God Church in Tisbury. She also faithfully attended Bible studies and fellowship at the Faith Community Church in Edgartown. She was an elder of the Free Christian Society of Duxbury. Her faith in Christ was gladly shared with many by her words and deeds.

Vianna Rose was predeceased by her husband of 52 years, Arthur (Doggie) Baird, who died July 5, 1997, and by her son, Richard Allen Baird, who died Sept. 19 of the same year. She also lost her eldest sister, Elizabeth, and two brothers, Francis and Charles. Vianna is survived by three sisters, Elsie and Lionel Aubert of Lennox, Shirley and Ralph Drew of West Milton, N.H., and Dorothy Sindorf of Middleton, N.H., and one brother, James and Athena Perry of West Milton, N.H.

Her surviving adult children and their spouses are Timothy and Sheila Baird of Edgartown, Frank and Ann Baird of Oak Bluffs, Jean Baird of Qinghai, China, John Baird of Barnstable, Faye and James Macy of Oak Bluffs, Stephen Baird and Victoria Sandtner of Tampa, Fla., and Barbara and Alan Fortes of Vineyard Haven. She will also be missed by her former daughters in law, Janice Cook-Sylvia of Aquinnah and Cynthia MacDonald-Smith of Edgartown.

Anna was proud of her 17 grandchildren: Rebecca, Rachel, Natasha, Sara, Mark, James, Michael, Dominic, George, Jason, Jeremiah, Magdalena, Zachary, Elyse, Alan, Janelle and Leah. She also had eight great-grandchildren: Andrew, Alec, Ashlyn, Delmont, Diamond, Dylan, Rya and Jake. She had numerous nieces and nephews in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She was loved and will be greatly missed by all.

Her funeral service was held on Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Vineyard Assembly of God Church. Donations may be made in her memory to the Felix Neck Wildlife Trust, P.O. Box 494, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, to the Vineyard Nursing Service, P.O. Box 369, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 or to Hospice of Martha's Vineyard, P.O. Box 2549, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. Arrangements were under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs.