Kristin Baumann
November 15, 1953 - April 21, 2018

Kristin Rose Baumann



Kristin Rose Baumann, 64, died April 21, 2018, at her home in Nokomis, FL, surrounded by family.

Born November 15, 1953, in Albany, NY, she shared a special relationship with her grandmother, "Eshie," with whom she shared a room as a child. She was an adventurous child of the 1960s. At age 16, she hitched a ride south and experienced the magic of the Woodstock music festival.

Kristin attended the Windsor Mountain School in Lenox, Mass., and during her senior year, designed an independent study course that brought her to Tucson, AZ, where she studied weaving on an Indian reservation. While in Tucson she met her future husband, Stephen Warren Baumann, who was visiting a friend at the University of Arizona. Both returned home separately to upstate New York, but soon reunited and began a life together. After travels, they settled in the Rutland, Vermont area.

She was the mother of four boys; Elias born in 1972, Josh in 1974, Luke in 1979 and Matthew in 1982.

Kristin embraced motherhood; it was her calling. She exposed her children to the arts, travel, culture and cuisine (whether they welcomed that or not). She was an brilliant cook and an outstanding homemaker. She held her own in a household of males and welcomed the friends of her children into her home. Many will remember the special times at the Christmas parties she hosted in Wallingford and Mendon, where the tables overflowed with food and the celebrations lasted late into the night.

Kristin had an insatiable appetite for learning and was a voracious reader. While raising a family, she decided to become a lawyer. She attended Castleton State College, where she graduated with high honors, and then Vermont Law School where she received her juris doctor in 1995 and was admitted to the Vermont Bar. Kristin practiced family law in Rutland and worked for the public defender's office.

In 2003, Kristin and Stephen moved to Nokomis after he took a job with a local newspaper. Kristin worked as an investigator with child protective services at the Florida Department of Children and Families. In her spare time she enjoyed the beach, watching sunsets, and creating lush tropical gardens at their home.

Always possessing a strong moral compass, Kristin found faith later in life and became a member of the Catholic Church. She was a parishioner of Christ the King Church in Rutland. She also attended St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Sarasota, where she sang in the choir and played hand-bells. She delivered food and supplies to migrants, and worked on the board of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Her faith and participation in the church was strengthened following the death of son Luke in 2006. She cherished the day she would see him again.

Being the mother of four boys was her proudest and greatest accomplishment. She thrived on the experiences of her growing, extended family.

Kristin was predeceased by her beloved grandmother, Alicia "Eshie" Hand, and her father, Arthur J. Rose Jr., who died when she was young.

She is survived by her husband Stephen of Nokomis, FL; her mother, Alicia Simmons, of Venice, FL, son Elias and daughter-in-law Grecia of Panama City, Panama; son Josh and daughter-in-law Alison of Charlottesville, Va.; son Matthew and daughter-in-law Allison of Half Moon Bay, Calif.; brother Arthur J. Rose III and his wife, Nancy, of Rochester Hills, Mich.; and six grandchildren: Flor, Aidan, Maya, Ella, Lucy and Henry.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 27, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, where her remains will be interred.

Memorial contributions for Kristin can be made in her son Luke's name to the Mount St. Joseph Academy Scholarship Fund, MSJ, Convent Avenue, Rutland, VT 05701.

Tributes