Jean Baird Obituary

Jean Baird (née VerDuin), age 85, passed away peacefully on July 10, 2025, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Born on December 7, 1939, in Grand Rapids, Jean was the daughter of Dena and Corliss VerDuin. She graduated from Union High School in 1957, and later in life, obtained her bachelor's degree from Aquinas College.

Jean was a beloved mother to Heather VandeKopple (née Baird) Dean and Bryce Baird, and a devoted mother-in-law to Mary Ann Butler; and stepmom to Carol Ellenwood (née Baird), and Doug and Tom Baird. She was a proud grandmother to Tyler VandeKopple and Brittany McRae, and loved her great grandchildren Seth, Madison, and Brooklynn Jo. She was a doting cat mom to many cats over the years, and most recently, her beloved Lexi.

Jean loved to travel, and instilled that same sense of adventure in her children. She held a special affection for the American and Canadian West, with Yosemite National Park holding a particularly dear place in her heart. At age 74, she moved "out west" to fulfill a life-long dream of living in California before returning to West Michigan seven years later in 2021.

Jean was a passionate sports fan. She loved the Michigan Wolverines and the Detroit Lions and Tigers, but no team meant more to her than the Wyoming Park Vikings football team, where she spent decades-worth of fall Friday nights with her parents, children, nieces Miki and Jami, nephew Mike, and numerous friends watching her brother Jack coach his teams to multiple conference championships and even a state championship.

Jean was cable television before cable was cool. Affectionately known as "Jean Jean the Cable Queen," she joined United Artists Cable when it first arrived in Grand Rapids in the 1970s. Cable companies came and went, but Jean survived all of the changes until she retired in 2001. Her career spanned numerous transitions within the field, but what endured were the lifelong friendships she formed with her colleagues-bonds she cherished deeply.

Following her retirement from cable, Jean continued to make meaningful contributions through roles at Aquinas College and the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan. Whether working in education or advocacy, she brought commitment to every endeavor.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Robert S. Baird Jr.; her parents, Dena and Corliss VerDuin; her brother Jack VerDuin, and sister-in-law Gloria VerDuin.

She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, daughter, coworker, and friend-someone whose presence enriched the lives of all who knew her. Those same people enriched her life, and because of those relationships, she considered herself the luckiest woman in the world.

For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, contributions to Crash's Landing Animal Shelter of Grand Rapids would be appreciated.

May her memory bring comfort to those who loved her. A private Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held on a date to be determined.

The family wishes to acknowledge and thank all of the family members, friends and employers who provided tangible and intangible support to Jean and her family over the last years of her life. Your support was as invaluable as it was comforting.