Charlotte Ellinwood (Greer) Baxter
September 19, 1908 - October 7, 2011
Obituary
Charlotte Ellinwood (Greer) Baxter was born on September 19, 1908, in her grandparents’ home in San Francisco, California, and died peacefully in Seattle, Washington, on October 7, 2011, not many days after her 103rd birthday. “Bay,” as she was called by all, lived a full and interesting life, most of it in Seattle.
She was the second daughter of Robert Papin Greer and Charlotte McDowell (Ellinwood) Greer, residents of San Francisco, who built a “summer” home on Capital Hill in Seattle around 1912. The Seattle house became their permanent home in 1916 when the family moved to Seattle so that her father could run his business there.
Bay attended St. Nicholas School in Seattle and then Miss Ransom’s School in Piedmont, California. After she graduated, she returned to Seattle where she lived the rest of her life. On January 12, 1932, she married John McGraw Baxter, a Seattle native. They had two children, Elizabeth Papin Baxter and John McGraw Baxter, Jr.
Besides her family, Bay’s passion was gardening. After the death of her mother, she and her family moved into her parents’ Capital Hill home, where, as a legacy to her parents, she maintained and enhanced a beautiful Japanese-style garden originally established in the 1920s. She spent many an hour tending her flowers, shrubs, and trees; she was a master at flower arranging, winning many ribbons for her efforts.
Bay was an active volunteer, especially with the Junior League of Seattle and her guild at Children’s Orthopedic Hospital. She was a member of the Seattle Garden Club, The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, the Sunset Club, the Seattle Tennis Club, the Seattle Golf Club, and the Washington Athletic Club. She was also a life-long member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her sister, “Bobby” (Marie Elizabeth [Greer] Donahoe Cole). She is survived by her children Betsy Baxter-Baalman (and her husband Ray Baalman) of Pasco, Washington; John McGraw Baxter, Jr. (and his wife Kay); her two granddaughters Kendall (Baxter) Frazier (and her husband Jim) and Stephanie (Baxter) Roalkvam (and her husband Kurt); and three great-grandchildren, McKenzie and Carson Frazier and Anders Roalkvam, all of Seattle.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, October 13, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral chapel. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Swedish Heart & Vascular Institute (Cherry Hill Campus) or to a charity of your choice.
Our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Mrs. Baxter.
In kindness,
Michelle Van Slack
Director of Member Services, Washington Athletic Club
I wish I could have been there, I always loved your Mom so very much.. I send my prayer’s to all of you, Betsy, John, Kendall, Stephanie and your loved ones. I lost my Mom after months of illness and many hospital stay’s she to passed only day’s after her 90th birthday and about 3 months after your Mom. My thoughts and love is with all of you.As always…..maureen