Less than a week before Remembrance Day, Newfoundland and Labrador is saying farewell to one of its last WWII veterans, and a well-loved member of the community. Elmo Baird, of Twillingate, passed away yesterday at the age of 100.
Elmo Bartlett Baird was just 19 years old at the dawn of the Second World War, and was on the first ship to sail from St. John’s to Liverpool to work in the UK with the Newfoundland Forestry Unit.
While fond of his work, he decided to contribute more to the war effort and left forestry to enlist with the Royal Air Force. There, his service brought him to Southeast Asia, to the Middle East, North Africa, and eventually through Italy to Yugoslavia.
Baird served for six years before he eventually returned home to Newfoundland, and married Eleanor Gillett in 1947. They moved to Gander to start a family, raising five children. Baird spent years working with immigration at Gander International Airport.
After 50 years in the Central Newfoundland town, he and his wife followed his daughter to the capital city in 1996.
Arrangements will be handled by Barrett’s Funeral Home, although his family says there will be no visitation to keep safety in mind. The family will hold a private celebration of his life.
Anyone wishing to pass along a comment can do so through Barrett’s Funeral Home, or by mail to Tiffany Village—where Elmo Baird lived for 11 years.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages making a donation to your favourite charity, or to a person or family in need.
