Colleen Wilder-Baker, 65, of Thornton passed away at home on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 after battling complications from asthma, allergies and diabetes. Colleen was born in Windsor, Vermont in 1953, the daughter of Howard and Ola (Morehouse) Wilder of Plainfield, NH.
She worked for many years in various medical facilities in Manchester before moving back to her parents home in Plainfield then Hebron, raising her daughter while she worked for several years in the food service industry at Plymouth State College. In 1998, she married Richard Baker and moved to Thornton. Work continued at McDonald's of Lincoln then for many years as a paraeducator at Lin-Wood Public School. For the last several years she was the primary, at-home, care-giver for her mother.
Her pride and joy was her two granddaughters, ages 3 and 7, who she would spend a lot of time with whenever she had a chance to visit, teaching them to count or helping them learn their colors, playing children's games, coloring or just having fun on the swing set.
She enjoyed cooking, particularly creating her own variation of some other recipe, always delicious. Her indoor plants, particularly the apostle plant, and outside heart-shaped herb garden beside her hybrid lilies were other creative pleasures. She could always go along with a trip that included shopping (clothes, jewelry, anything). She liked to watch HSN as well as NASCAR races or the Red Sox.
Colleen is survived by her husband of 20 years, Richard Baker; her mother, Ola; her daughter, Nicole (Wilder) Taranti and her husband Joseph Taranti; two granddaughters, Juliana and Alyssa; and several cousins. She is pre-deceased by her father, Howard, and younger brother, Howard Wilder, Jr..
Calling hours will be 11:00am-12:30pm on Saturday, August 4, 2018 at the Mayhew Funeral Home, 204 DW Highway, Meredith, NH to be followed by a memorial service at 12:30pm. The Rev. Brenda Wentworth will officiate. A private committal service will be held August 5 in the Ascutney Cemetery, Windsor, VT arranged by Knight Funeral Home of Windsor.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: In Memory of Colleen O. Wilder-Baker, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1000, Landover, MD 20785.
To sign Colleen's Book of Memories,
www.mayhewfuneralhomes.com