Helen Jones Baugh

March 7, 1923 - August 25, 2019

Helen Jones Baugh, loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, died peacefully on August 25, 2019, surrounded by family. She was born in 1923 and grew up in North Wales, PA and Youngstown, OH before earning a bachelor’s degree in botany from Ohio University. In college, she served as president of her dormitory and met her future husband Charles Wesley Baugh, Jr., with whom she corresponded during his WWII deployment overseas. Helen and Charles married in 1945 and lived in Pasadena, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Princeton, NJ, and Wallingford, PA, before settling in Severna Park with their seven children. Helen was a gifted gardener who transformed her yard into a botanical wonderland complete with benches, paths, a fishpond, and blooming plants. As her family grew, she seamlessly orchestrated cross-country road trips, suppers, picnics, and magical holiday gatherings that would have put Norman Rockwell to shame. She was a gifted artist who was generous with her talent, taking the time to beautify birthday cards, hand-draw designs for family wedding invitations, and knit personalized sweaters for her entire family. Once her children were grown, Helen was an assistant driver’s education teacher at Severna Park High School and taught science at Annapolis Junior High, where she became department chair. In retirement, she remained constantly active with reading, cooking, drawing, gardening, knitting, crocheting, volunteering with the Ben Oaks Garden Club, and keeping in touch with her family. She was a keen conversationalist with a razor-sharp mind and a sparkling sense of humor. Family was of paramount importance to her and she was intensely loyal to her loved ones. Helen was a lifelong learner who enthusiastically embraced the information age, often sending emails from her iPad late at night and taking “selfies” with her grandchildren. Even at the age of 96, she was always asking her family what she could do to help. Helen was predeceased by her husband of 72 years, Charles Baugh, and her son, Bill Baugh. She is survived by her brother, George Jones, and six children: Ann Baugh, Gretchen Carlson, Betsy Ardisana, Bob Baugh, Don Baugh, and Nancy Day, along with her thirteen grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Her family, friends, and neighbors will gather to celebrate her life on September 8, 2019 from 12:00-3:00pm at the Ben Oaks Community Pond, 436 Severnside Drive, Severna Park, MD, 21146. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her name to either the Upstream Alliance (1867 Lindamoor Drive, Annapolis, MD, 21401), or the Helen Jones Baugh Scholarship Fund (Wellesley Students Aid Society, Schneider Center Suite 117, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA, 02481).