Jan 'Jeb' E Baldi Obituary (1937

Jan E. "Jeb" Baldi passed away at home on May 19th three days after his 83rd birthday. Jeb lived his life with curiosity and compassion that was always present as a loving husband and father of three. He was a teacher, explorer, environmentalist, avid birder, photographer, and prolific gardener. Born in Seattle in 1937 to Louie C Baldi and Helen Klaasen Baldi, he also enjoyed the influence of immigrant grandparents from both Italy and Holland. Jeb graduated from Highline High School in 1955, and after a summer of commercial fishing was convinced by fellow fishers to attend Western Washington University, where he met his wife of 59 years, Gloria Nunn. Prior to receiving his bachelors degree in education, his studies were interrupted when he served two years in the Army as a medic, married Gloria, had his first child, and was recalled into the Army for the Berlin Crisis. Teaching environmental education was Jebs passion, and he delighted in hearing from former students. He taught in Anacortes and Lynden before moving the family to Ellensburg to obtain a masters degree while teaching third grade at Hebeler Elementary on the CWU campus. The following two years he was assistant principal, then principal at Hebeler, then eight additional years working on the Central Washington University campus. Jebs family moved to Walla Walla when Jeb was offered a principals position. After children left home, Jeb and Gloria moved to Kennewick where both worked until 1998 before retiring to Ellensburg. Always the adventurer, Jeb was a mountain climber summiting major peaks in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains, a skier, backpacker, hunter, and an extensive cycler in the San Juan Islands. Jeb and Gloria also enjoyed kayak touring throughout the northwest and Alaska. In later years, he often guided and floated the Yakima River with his family and friends. Protecting natural habitat on public lands was a life-long pursuit. In the 1970s he was a member of the original group that successfully advocated designation of the Alpine Lakes as a Wilderness Area. He was also a member of the working group to successfully designate as a National Monument the Hanford Reach, the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River. Jeb was a National Audubon member since the 1970s, and engaged with four local chapters during his life; Kittitas Audubon being the most recent. For thirteen years he led field trips and educated people on the First Saturday Bird Walk at Irene Riverfront Park. Birding also took Jeb and Gloria on adventures around the globe. Surviving Jeb are his wife, Gloria, his three children, Gia (Gary) Cummisk of Ellensburg, Ty (Kathy) Baldi, and Josh (Deanna) Baldi, all of Seattle, and four grandchildren, Sage Cummisk (Moab, UT), Teal Cummisk (Bozeman, MT), Anna Baldi, and Cameron Cole Baldi, both from Seattle, and his sister Nina (JJ) Jasper from Portland, OR. At this time no memorial service is planned. Memorials to Jeb may be to The Nature Conservancy (74 Wall Street, Seattle, WA 98121), Kittitas Audubon (PO Box 1443, Ellensburg, WA 98926), or an organization of ones choice.