Cecelia J. Connolly Baum

Cecelia Baum 94, died on November 6th at the Martin Memorial Tradition Medical Center in Port St. Lucie, Florida after suffering a stroke the previous week. Cecelia was born in Dansville, New York on December 11th 1919 to William and Bertha Connelly (nee Dendlinger) the youngest of three children. She was a graduate of Dansville Central High School and Robert Packer School of Nursing in Sayre, PA as a Registered Nurse in June 1942. After graduation she became operating room supervisor at Dansville General Hospital. Within a year however, she had joined the war effort and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy. She initially served at San Diego Naval Hospital but became one of the early members of the Navy Air Evacuation Squadron out of Alameda Naval Air Base. This group of flight nurses, only numbering in the dozens, flew numerous trips into Iwo Jima and Okinawa during battle conditions to evacuate the wounded to Guam and Hawaii. During her four years as a Navy flight nurse she served vast areas of the Pacific from Alaska to the Marianas.

Cecelia was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Dr. Alan E. Baum in 2010. They resided for over 50 years in Oyster Bay Cove NY and were parishioners of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Palm City. She is survived by sons Gregory of Palm City FL; Douglas and wife Sally, of Lynchburg, VA; Alan Jr. and wife Cathy, of Hicksville NY; William and wife Susan of Carolina Beach, NC; and daughter Reyne Brezinski of Port St Lucie, FL. Her grandchildren include Christopher and wife Andrea, and great grandchildren; Ryan, Erica and Ian; Meredith Mulford (nee Baum) and husband Michael of Houston, TX and great granddaughter Dorothy; Daniel and Sarah Baum of Raleigh NC and great grandchildren Lillian and Craft; Elizabeth Connolly (nee Baum) and husband Trevor of Lafayette Colorado and great grandchildren Lily Jane and Tucker; Laura Baum of NY, NY; Heather Baum of Roanoke VA; Cecelia Raborn (nee Baum) and husband Eric of Copenhagen, Denmark; Andrew Brezinski of Northport NY , William and Kathryn Brezinski of Port St Lucie, FL. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014, at 9:00am at St. Dominic’s Church in Oyster Bay, NY followed by a graveside service at St. Charles Cemetery at 11:00 am in Farmingdale, NY.