Jennie Baum's Obituary
Jennie Mary Dancy Charlton Baum, 96, a New Orleans native and resident of Southwest Florida for more than 40 years, died peacefully Thursday, Sept. 17 after a brief illness.Jennie Baum moved to Cape Coral, Fla. in 1963 with her first husband, John “Jack” Charlton, after he retired as director of advertising for the New Orleans Times Picayune newspaper. Charlton died in the mid-1960s and in 1968, Jennie Charlton married Donald Baum, a retired Westinghouse engineer from Ridgewood, N.J.Active in many aspects of the Cape Coral community, Jennie and Don Baum were two of the 98 founding members of the auxiliary program of the Cape Coral Hospital in 1976.When the hospital opened on July 1, 1977 the Baums helped establish membership for the not-for-profit auxiliary corporation charter with the state of Florida. The Baums demonstrated a steady commitment to the auxiliary for 30 years.“Don and Jennie Baum did just about everything when the hospital first opened said Deb Schuyler, who retired in June 2009 director of volunteer resources and auxiliary development.In June 2006, Jennie Baum was named one of 10 Cape Coral Hospital auxiliaries acknowledged by President George W. Bush with the President’s Call to Service Award.The fourth of eight children born to Charles Allen and Beatrice Dancy, Jennie Baum is survived by one brother, Capt. Charles Allen Dancy, (ret.) U.S. Navy, stepdaughter, Mary Louise Baum, and many nieces and nephews.Jennie Baum moved to the Cypress Cove Senior Retirement Community in Ft. Myers, where she remained active in the Cape Coral Hospital Auxiliary during much of the first decade of the 21st century.“With a sweet smile, Jennie greeted visitors and residents from her favorite chair at the front door,” said niece Linda Robinette.“Music was second nature to Jennie. She loved ballet and other forms of dance,” Robinette said. In lieu of flowers, donations be made to Hope Hospice of Southwest Florida.An informal service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 9:30 a.m. at Jaycees Park off Beach Parkway in Cape Coral. Assistance was provided by Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.
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