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Her legacy can be found in the lasting gifts she left as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.

       Jill Reed Jersey Baldwin passed away peacefully at home on September 8, 2026 in Hatfield, MA from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Jill was born in Bridgeport, CT on August 24, 1952, the daughter of the late Edgar Reed and Alice (James) Jersey. She is survived by her high school sweetheart and beloved husband of 54 years George “Buzz” H. Baldwin, II; her daughter Emily Gates (Chris) and son Reed (Stephanie); her granddaughters Abbie and Amelia Gates, and grandsons Ryan and Jason Baldwin; her sister Janice Wildman (Spencer); her sister-in-law Penelope Rebuzzini (Peter); her nieces Amanda Montero (Angel) and Kezia Rebuzzini, and nephew Judson Wildman (Alison).

       Jill graduated from Trumbull High School in 1970 and Lasell Jr. College in 1972 with a degree in business. She was an administrative assistant for two years to the underwriting manager at The Hartford Insurance Group in Fairfield, CT and then spent the next 12 years raising two children. She returned to work as a special ed teacher’s assistant at the Granby CT Middle School and within a few years became the principal’s secretary. She excelled at managing the needs of administrators, teachers, students, and parents. After several years she took a part-time position at The University of St. Joseph’s preschool. Beyond work, Jill was an artist and had a gift for color, clothes, and interior design. She loved to cook and bake, and created unforgettable meals for family and friends. She relished waking early, morning coffee, walking four miles daily, and creating beautiful flower gardens. Watching her daughter and son compete in their athletic events brought her great pride. Music, Broadway theater, and opera were other sources of joy, and she celebrated several wedding anniversaries by attending performances of the Metropolitan Opera. 

       Jill held a close relationship with a small group of girls from elementary school (LHGs), with several dear friends from work in Granby, and with neighbors from Trumbull and Simsbury, CT and Shorewood, WI. During her 50s she traveled monthly into NYC with Buzz and friends, exploring neighborhoods throughout Manhattan, and several times a year visited them on a Maine coastal island. Most special was the love she held for her granddaughters in FL and grandsons in MA.

       After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at age 59, Jill joined a support group and soon after was recommended to serve on the board. She will be remembered for advocating for other patients, actively helping with research fundraisers, participating in clinical trials in Boston and NYC, attending the 4th World Parkinson’s Congress in Portland, OR in 2016, and notably helping create and co-chair four successful Parkinson’s symposia in West Hartford, CT. She was a valued resource who helped other patients understand and cope with the disease, even while it progressively impacted her. Jill was truly brave and found an inner strength throughout this time.

       Jill will also be remembered for being elegant but quick to show her quirky sense of humor. Her legacy can be found in the lasting gifts she left as a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.

       Her husband expresses his deep gratitude for the support given Jill and himself from family and dear friends, to the medical providers at the Movement Disorder Center in Vernon, CT who cared for Jill throughout her 17 year ordeal with PD, and to the compassionate and highly skilled nurses and health aides from the Cooley-Dickinson Hospital’s Hospice Program.

        A service celebrating Jill’s life will be held at the First Congregational Church of Hatfield, 41 Main St., Hatfield, MA, at 12 Noon on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation in Jill’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or to the Hatfield Senior Center,    59 Main St., Hatfield, MA 01038.