Jimmy Dalton Baines

Ithaca, NY

Jimmy Dalton Baines, PhD, passed away on Oct. 7, 2013 at the age of 81.  Jimmy was born in Pampa, Texas, to Marcus and Willie Baines.  After initially preparing for the Methodist ministry, he became enamored of the theater, receiving degrees from Southwestern and Baylor Universities where he wrote, directed and acted in many productions. After three years in the US Army, he married Marjorie Alice Drumm. He received his PhD in theater from Tulane University, but later became deeply committed to improving education in poor and minority school districts, serving as a school board member in Paterson, NJ and as a professor of education at William Paterson University where he taught racism and sexism among many other courses.  He retired to Ithaca, NY with Marjorie in 1999, where he volunteered widely and rekindled his interest in writing both plays and novels.  His family will miss him for his keen curiosity, his eloquence, and especially for his deep and unflinching love and generosity.

Jimmy leaves behind a sister, Doris Jean Eriksson of Dallas, Texas, his son Joel and wife Jeanne of Ithaca, NY, his son Stephen and wife Catherine Graham of Sound Beach, NY, and his daughter Catherine and grand-daughter Julia Sobczak, both of Denver, Colorado.

He will be buried in a simple ceremony at Greensprings Cemetery, 293 Irish Hill Rd., Newfield, NY on Thurs. Oct. 10 at 1PM, followed by an informal reception at 3PM at the Friend’s Meeting House, 120 3rd St, Ithaca, NY.

For those wishing to remember Jimmy in the form of a memorial contribution, please consider the Museum of the Earth at museumoftheearth.org or the American Friends Service Committee at afsc.org.