Portales, N.M., and Harrington
Mary Helen (Compton) Baldwin, 70, of Harrington died May 20, 2019, at Atlantic Shores in Harrington where she had been receiving exceptional care. She was born on December 17, 1948, in Clovis, N.M., to Judge James C. and Eunice Ann (Clark) Compton.
Mary Helen grew up in Portales, N.M., where she attended public schools. During her high school years, she was very active in music. She sang in the New Mexico All State Chorus and played clarinet and contra bass clarinet in the marching band and orchestra. She also played guitar and sang folk music with her sister, “Francie.”
In 1968, she married David Baldwin and they had two sons, Scott R. and Jonathan C. Baldwin.
Mary Helen attended Eastern New Mexico University, where she was a member of Chi Omega Sorority. She graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Teacher Education.
Mary Helen spent her career as a very highly regarded public school teacher. Though she began her teaching in Portales, most of her teaching career was in Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 37, primarily Cherryfield Elementary School. While teaching, she also coached track and field at Narraguagus High School, specializing in racewalk. She retired from MSAD 37 in 2007.
In 1975, Mary Helen obtained her Ham Radio license — WB5NKK. As a general class operator, she enjoyed communicating by radio with Ham friends near and far. Mary Helen was an avid racewalker and racewalk official. In addition to coaching locally, she assisted with junior national team athletes. She was highly respected as a National Level Racewalk official, judging USA Track and Field (USATF) events throughout the United States. She also represented Maine USATF Racewalking at national USATF conferences.
She was a member of Eastern Star and P.E.O. For many years she was an emergency services volunteer with Petit Manan Ambulance as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and the Harrington Volunteer Fire Department as Firefighter I and EMT.
Mary Helen’s love of music continued throughout her life. She played the guitar and mandolin for many years with several area bands such as Cole Creek and The Gristmill Gang. She was highly regarded for her great harmony singing.
Mary Helen is survived by her husband of 51 years, David; two sons, Scott Baldwin, his partner, Rebecca Brown, and their two children, Wilder and Kaleigh Baldwin, all of Portland, ME, and Jonathan Baldwin of Ellsworth; one sister, Frances McCollum of Las Cruces, N.M.; a nephew, Ken Berard and family of Las Cruces; a sister-in-law, Susan Compton of West Linn, OR; and nephews, James Compton of West Linn, OR, and Rick Compton of Albuquerque, N.M.
She was predeceased by her parents, Judge James and Eunice Ann (Clark) Compton, formerly of Portales, and her brother, James C. Compton, formerly of Albuquerque.
The family will offer a memorial and interment later in the summer. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, 110 East 42nd Street, 16th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10017, https://www.alzinfo.org. Arrangements have been entrusted to Bragdon-Kelley Funeral Home, 47 Main Street, Milbridge, ME. 04658. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.bragdonkelley.com.