B. “Tina” Irene (Cooley) Baldwin
1946-2022


Dove

Richburg

B. “Tina” Irene (Cooley) Baldwin of 163 Griffin St. in Richburg, NY passed away at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas on Thursday , April 7 after a courageous battle with cancer. She passed away peacefully, surrounded by her children. She was 75 years old. Born May 18, 1946, in Olean, NY, she was the daughter of Harold and Doris (Green) Cooley. She grew up in a loving family with her siblings, Grant and Nancy where she learned the values of integrity, hard work and perseverance.

She was a graduate of Wellsville Central School, Class of 1964. After graduating high school, she moved to New York City where she married her first husband and had two amazing daughters – Jenny and Lisa. She was employed at a bank and a dress shop in New York City, developing a love of fashion. Her multiple closets in New York and Texas filled with shoes and clothing are a testament to her passion for fashion. A series of unfortunate events in New York City brought her back to Allegany County, New York in the early 1970s with a broken heart. With hope and perseverance, she began the process of rebuilding her life. On September 22, 1973, at the First United Methodist Church of Bolivar, she married the love of her life, Albert Edward “Butch” Baldwin. He predeceased Tina in November, 2004, after a lengthy battle with a progressive brain disorder which required long-term loving care that Tina naturally provided. Together, they had two adoring sons – Scott and Eric.

For most of her working life, she was employed by the Richburg Central School District and then the merged Bolivar-Richburg Central School District, retiring in June 2016 after 30 years of service. Prior to her employment, she also served as a volunteer at the Richburg Central School District in the early 1980s. Throughout her career, she worked alongside many amazing teachers in service to students as a teacher’s aide and reading intervention aide. She loved helping children build confidence in themselves. She had compassion for all children, but there was a special place in her heart for those who were bullied by their peers. Tina remembered what it was like to speak with a stutter when she was a child, and she aimed to stop peer-to-peer harassment. Her contribution to education will live on through two of her children who chose to become teachers.

After her retirement, she became a snow bird and spent the winter months in Houston, Texas where she made many friends. She was an avid fan of country music and dancing, and would regularly attend dance nights at various places throughout the area with her “dance family.” She was a “cowgirl” at heart and loved the rodeo. An avid walker, Tina could be seen walking all over town. It was a practice she continued into her 70s. When cancer slowed her down, she loved to watch Law and Order, Judge Judy and The Family Feud and share hilarious memes on Facebook to make others laugh. Her laugh could fill a room and brought joy to those around her. She had many friends and she cherished them all. She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Bolivar for 46 years, serving as a treasurer for some of that time. She was a member of the St. Stephen’s Club in Olean and regularly attended events at the VFW in Wellsville. Annually, she marched in Memorial Day parades and loved participating in the cemetery services every Memorial Day to honor America’s veterans. She was a devoted fan of the Buffalo Bills and, like all Bills fans, became accustomed to saying “maybe next year”. Also, like many Bills fans, she rooted for any team playing against Tom Brady, whose very name was a cuss word that made her cringe. She was blessed with the gift of gab and was able to strike up friendly conversations with virtually anyone. She had a love and zeal for life and tried to enjoy every minute, up to her last.

After her husband Butch passed away, she spent a lot of time in her final years with her companion and dance partner Gary Grover of Kossuth, NY. “Tina and Gary” became a staple at dance clubs and restaurants from here to Texas.

Surviving are 4 children: daughter Jenny Roman of Miami, Florida, daughter Lisa (Roman) Gaibor of Quito, Ecuador, South America; son T. Scott Baldwin of Houston, TX, and son S. Eric Baldwin of Richburg, NY; four grandchildren, Melissa, Martin and Alegria Gaibor and Camilla Ortiz; son-in-law Rodolfo Gaibor of Quito, Ecuador; three sisters-in-law, Cheryle Baldwin of Bolivar, Debra Sherwood of Bolivar, and Carol (Ron) Kuzaj of Phoenix, NY; numerous nieces and nephews; and countless friends. All of these people she loved dearly.

In addition to being predeceased by her husband, she was predeceased by her parents Harold Cooley in 1976 and Doris Cooley in 2004; her brother Grant Cooley in 2008 and her sister Nancy (Cooley) Witter in 2021.

Friends will be received from 4 to 7 PM on Thursday, April 14 at the Schaffner Funeral Home Inc., Bolivar, where funeral services will be held on Friday, April 15 at 11 AM. Pastor Larry Allen of the Richburg First Day Baptist Church will officiate. Burial will be in the Richburg Cemetery.




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