Carol "Patty" Moylan Baldwin

Patty was born March 20, 1938 in Kansas City, Kansas. Daughter of Hannah Gunnar Moylan and John Stephen Moylan, she grew up in Kansas City with her brother John, whom she admired.

After high school, Patty entered the Ursuline community to become a nun in the Catholic Church. She completed three years of novitiate and then became a teacher. The use of “Patty” originated from taking the religious name Sister Patrick.

She went on to become a teacher, and meanwhile graduated from the College of St. Theresa, which later became Avila College, with honors – cum laude in 1965. She went on to complete a master’s degree in deaf education at The University of Kansas in 1970.

Released from her vows on St. Patrick’s Day, 1972, she continued teaching and became an administrator at the Kansas School for the Deaf, where she met the love of her life, Richard Baldwin.

Richard and Patty were married in 1974. A pillow embroidered with “Happiness is being married to your best friend” propped each of them in hospice care at their final moments, and their lives embodied that. Marrying Rich brought his son Scott and daughter Amanda into her family, which eventually grew to include 8 grandchildren who loved her “a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!”

Patty’s career was all about teaching and helping children with special needs. She retired from Ingham Intermediate School district in 1998 and continued to serve her community in many ways: as an officer of Delta Kappa Gamma, a volunteer and board of directors member of the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan, and as a lay leader in the Catholic Church for as long as she was able.

Left to cherish her memory are: son Scott Baldwin (Patti) of Grand Rapids; daughter Amanda Hoffmeister (Joe) of St. Louis, Missouri; eight grandchildren: Ben Baldwin-Laser (Autumn), Nick, Jack, and Wes Baldwin, and Hannah Dillow (Blake), Tom, Louis, and Norah Hoffmeister; sister-in-law Annette Moylan; nephews Mark Moylan (Lisa) and Paul Moylan (Alicia); nieces Margaret Johnson (Dennis), Mary Feess (Ray), and Kathleen Moylan. Her husband Richard preceded her in death in December 2019, as did her brother John in June 2015.

Her family expresses deep gratitude for the caring teams at Burcham Hills and Careline Hospice.

A funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church of Williamston on Saturday December 9th at 11:00 am, with a gathering hour prior.

In lieu of flowers, donations are appreciated. Please direct generosity to Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan.