Scott Owen Baldwin, 84 years, of Cazenovia, passed away peacefully following a long illness on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, at the Francis House with his wife and family by his side. Scott was born in Pittsburgh, the son of Charles W. and Cora May Baldwin, on Groundhog’s Day, 1936. His birthdays were always lively events while waiting for Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast.
He married his beloved Betty Ann (Reese) Baldwin of Sherburne on June 21, 1958, at the Sherburne United Methodist Church, just few short miles from his alma mater, Colgate University. Scott and Betty Ann, both only children, lived their love for each other over the next 62 years with their three sons, six grandchildren, each successive generation’s wives, husband and fiancés, and one very recent great-granddaughter, whose smile he never tired of seeing.
Scott was always a businessman, beginning with US Steel before moving to Sherburne in 1960 to join his father-in-law’s business, which eventually became Reese Baldwin Oil. Years later he transitioned into the fledgling computer industry with Computer Solutions, soon to be purchased by NYNEX. Ever an entrepreneur, in his later years he pitched in with his son in the financial services business Leigh Baldwin & Co, basing both his home and work in Cazenovia before retiring in 2001.
Community service was important to Scott, and over the years he served as the president of the Sherburne Rotary and member of the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce. He was on the Sherburne-Earlville Board of Education for many years, his belief in the value of education fostered at his beloved Colgate University.
Spiritual comfort for Scott came from his lifelong Episcopalian faith, from his confirmation by the Bishop of Pittsburgh through years as a parish member of the Sherburne Church of the Epiphany and Cazenovia St. Peter’s Episcopal churches.
Scott never believed in all work and no play, and his Colgate time was marked by the lifelong friendships he made with the brothers of ATO. He played tennis as a young man, and raced sailboats on Colgate’s sailing team and was a member of the Otsego Sailing and Willow Bank Yacht Clubs where he taught a succession of grandchildren to sail. Scott’s musical talent ranged from drumming in a wedding band combo in the 1950s to singing in community musical productions in Sherburne. In his later years, he was a member of the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Choir. Golf became a more recent addition to his life, and what he lacked in experience he made up for in passion as a member of the Cazenovia Golf Club.
Scott was pre-deceased by his father and mother. Surviving are his wife; his half-sisters, Lynn Zwickert and Cynthia Ferguson; his children and their wives and partners, Christopher Baldwin and Elizabeth Chittenden of London, England, Leigh and Susan Baldwin of Cazenovia and Matthew and Kathleen Baldwin of New Jersey; grandchildren, Ashleigh (Baldwin) and Christopher Thompson, Alan, Adrianne, Connor, Jack and Elinor; great-granddaughter, Everleigh; and cousins, Elizabeth (Van Riper) Miller and Douglas and Jan Van Riper.
A private funeral service was held at St. Peter’s Church, Cazenovia for immediate family and members of the Church.
In lieu of flowers please consider donations to St. Peter’s Church, 10 Mill St., Cazenovia, NY 13035 and Francis House, 108 Michaels Ave., Syracuse, NY 13208.
