Anabel Gibbens Baird, age 95, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, April 19, 2019 surrounded by her daughter and caring friend, Gwendolyn Crawford and Mary Ann Guthrie, RN. She was born in Uniontown, Al, the youngest daughter of Francis Newton Gibbens and Anna Elizabeth Bird Gibbens. She had a special gift for music discovered at a young age as she played piano by ear. She attended University of Alabama, and completed a 3 year Registered Nursing program at Mobile’s City Hospital. She did post graduate work in surgical nursing at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville. She met and married her true love Robert Crittenden Baird, Jr. in 1947 while working in Nashville.
Ann worked at Vanderbilt University Hospital for 5 years, serving as chief scrub nurse for chief of cardiovascular surgery, Head Nurse in the Vanderbilt Pediatric Clinic & Assistant Head Nurse in the Pediatric Department and worked at Nashville's VA Hospital. The Baird’s moved to Mobile in1953. Ann worked for Mobile Infirmary for 31 years, serving 10 1/2 years as staff Nurse, 9 years as Head Nurse in the ER,, Head Nurse in Radiation Therapy and as RN for Special Procedures and Diagnostic Radiology. She Instructed In-Service Education and worked in PSRO. Ann was a long time member of the Mobile County Nurses Association serving as Vice President and many chairman positions, Alabama State Nurses Association, American Nurses Association, American Radiology Nurses Association and the Oncology Nurses Association.
Ann’s love of music was in her soul. She sang on the radio as a young child and eventually sang with the Nashville Symphony and with various dance bands. Ann was a many year member of the Clara Schuman Club, Mobile Choral Society and Mobile Opera Guild. She participated in many performances in Mobile with the Opera Guild including Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and La Boheme and various Mobile Opera Workshops, such as Trouble in Tahiti and many Clara Schuman concerts. Those were among some of her favorite times. She sang as soloist at many weddings and funerals. Active for many years in the PTA, Ann taught music and directed pageants and musical programs in public schools. She had a green thumb and was active in Garden Clubs and loved working in the family flower and vegetable gardens.
Anabel is survived by her daughter and her adored son-in law, Barbara and James Austin Jones, Jr. of Marietta, Georgia, granddaughter Lauren Elizabeth Bell (Mrs. David Aaron Bell), great grand daughter Emily James Bell, great grandson, Wyatt George Bell of Birmingham and grandson Robert Austin Jones (Mrs. Jenna Oschwald Jones) and great granddaughters Lucy Kathryn Jones and Sophie Gray Jones of San Antonio, nephews Richard Bayne Woodson (Ann), of Pensacola and William Lewis Overstreet (Sheryl) of Dallas, Texas plus many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert and wonderful son, Dr. Robert C. Baird, III.
The family would like to thank Spring Hill Hospice Nurses Theresa Ellison, RN Mary Ann Guthrie, RN and Chaplain Bob Howard for their beautiful support and all of her caregivers for their love and care.
She nourished those around her with her true passions and strengths: faith, music, a caring spirit and love. Her life celebration will be Saturday, April 27 at 1pm with visitation at 12 noon at Radney’s on Dauphin Street. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tulane Medical School Alumni Association #8570, ℅ Robert C Baird III Memorial Fund, 1430 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70112 or the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
