The Reverend Hilda Lee Baldwin Kennedy, 76, of Pipestem, West Virginia, passed away Friday July 9 ^th , 2021 at Hospice of CAMC in Charleston following a long illness.

Born January 14, 1945 in Pierpoint, West Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Ray Mac Baldwin and Eugenia Halsey Baldwin.

She is preceded in death by two sisters, an infant, Dreama Baldwin, and Alice Gore.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Melissa Cole and son-in-law Norman of Athens, West Virginia; grandsons Norman Cole, IV of Raleigh, North Carolina and Calvin Cole of Athens; sisters Sandra Alston of Seattle, Washington and Shelia Ware and husband Michael of Knoxville, Tennessee; and brother Byron Baldwin of Nimitz, West Virginia.

After graduating from Shady Springs High School in 1963, she earned degrees in History and Political Science from Concord College in 1967. In 1987 she earned an additional degree from Concord College in Social Work, after which she worked in Child Protective Services, hospital social services, and as director of the Highland Educational Project for the West Virginia Episcopal Church in McDowell County.

It was in this position that she found her true calling and studied to become an Episcopal Canon 9 Clergy member, serving her community in McDowell. Her impact was felt near and far conducting church services, travelling to Central America on mission trips, facilitating mission work groups to McDowell County, and organizing outreach programs like food donation pantries, clothing assistance, community Christmas gift parties, or any other service where there was a need.

She retired from church service in 2008 and moved to Pipestem, West Virginia to be closer to family, where she enjoyed her favorite interests of gardening and reading about history, political affairs, and physics as it related to creation.

Visitation with family will be observed between the hours of 12:00 and 2:00 at Ascension Episcopal Church in Hinton. A memorial service will follow at 2:00 with The Right Reverend Bishop W. Michie Klusmeyer officiating. Grave side services will follow at the family farm in Pipestem with a reception immediately after for all in the home of Melissa and Norman Cole in Athens.