Jesse Ray Baldwin, Sr., 96, was born on May 24, 1927 in Ashe County, NC to the late Wiley C. and Fannie Neaves Baldwin. After 8 years without her by his side, he rejoined his bride of 61 beautiful years on earth, Dorothy Baldwin, in eternal life on Friday, October 6, 2023. He passed at home in Woodbridge, VA, surrounded by all four of his children. 

A proud Army veteran of WWII and the Korean War, he is a member and past commander of VFW Post 7916. He and three others put in $3K each in the early ‘70s to buy the old firehouse in Occoquan that still serves as the home of Post 7916. The post was instrumental in the establishment of Quantico National Cemetery. 

An electronics engineer, he retired from E-Systems in 1990 after 38 years, during which time he tested many important components of the space program. He was awarded a medallion made of metal from spacecrafts Columbia and Eagle that took Astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins on their historic Apollo 11 mission that resulted in the first landing of man on the moon. 

He enjoyed gardening at his farm in Orange County, but mostly, he loved riding his motorcycle. He rode for more than 70 years, and until he was 90 years old. He rode in 48 states and 9 Canadian provinces and made 15 round trips to California, Oregon and Washington, and attended many Goldwing rallies with riding buddies Will Davis, Lou Mitchell and others. After he sold his last motorcycle, he and his daughter put several hundred thousand miles on 3 new trucks going on adventures, even the last 4 days of his life, and to see if he could spot eagles or deer, or find a road he hadn’t been on. There weren’t many. 

Always setting a good example, he was a volunteer for many years at Leesylvania State Park and Prince William Forest Park. During his lifetime, he donated more than 8 gallons of blood. He initiated action to establish the Prince William County Landfill after the dump was charging per item to dispose of old washing machines that the Boy Scouts had picked up from along the roadside as a community service. A Boy Scout leader and father figure to many in the neighborhood, he was an exceptional teacher and taught many kids besides his own, to camp, hunt, fish, canoe, shoot a gun, find a four leaf clover, and to ride bikes, go carts, and motorcycles. 

He is survived by sons Jesse Ray Baldwin, Jr. (Jennifer) and Michael Shepherd Baldwin, of Fredericksburg, VA, Alan Thomas Baldwin of Woodbridge, VA, and daughter Debra Baldwin Schaefer (Johnny) of Spotsylvania, VA, 15 grandchildren, and 11 great grandchildren, brothers Jack (Jessie) Baldwin of West Jefferson, NC, Robert Jones Baldwin of Lansing, NC; sisters Rosemary Lewis of Morristown, TN, and Donna Abad of Marion, VA, and sisters-in-law Shirley Faw Baldwin of Lansing, NC, Clara Barker of Boone, NC, many beloved nieces and nephews, and members of the Scites family, who have long been family to us.

He is predeceased by his parents, Wiley C. and Fannie Neaves Baldwin, sister Edna Baldwin, all of Lansing, NC, sister Bonnie Baldwin Howe (Melvin) of Talmage, NE, brother Darrell B. Baldwin of Lansing, NC, brothers-in-law Russell Lewis of Morristown, TN and F.L. Barker of Boone, NC, sisters-in-law Ruth Shepherd of Lansing, NC and Mary Garmon (Hal) of Huntersville, NC, and great granddaughter, Madison Schaefer White of Woodbridge, VA.