We lost a dear friend yesterday........our neighbor of 30 yrs.........

this magazine cover shows Earl at 85-one of the three times in the past 4 years he raced his kayak around Manhattan Island-New York City.  He was the dearest-kindest,  joyful man-with a story or two for every occasion.  He built kayaks for many years and they have been shipped all over the country.  He became ill 5 mos ago and told us he was ready to go to be with the Lord.

He laughed at me and shook his head when I explained this was the type of water I liked to kayak!!  Not him-white water all the way!!

  Because he was so healthy and in incredible shape it took him longer-he was getting impatient towards the end.  I tried to share my Tylenol with him a couple yrs ago after he and I went kayaking in Florida and he looked at me appalled- "I haven't taken a pill since they gave me an aspirin in World War II and it nearly killed me"!   And so he never did take a pill or visit a Dr.     My children grew up knowing "Mr. Baldwin" as the wonderful neighbor who could out kayak race their much younger dad-was a scary monster at Halloween, always was at church, out picked everyone at strawberry picking till last summer, always had cheerios in his pocket for their dog, and always had a story to tell about something interesting.

  He will be greatly missed by the local community and the kayaking world throughout New England and the eastern seaboard.  God Bless and Peace be with you Earl as you join your dear wife Barbara................we miss you so already.....