John Thomas Baldwin Phd

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of John Baldwin, a beloved husband, father, teacher, and friend. John passed away peacefully on November 7, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of love, music, knowledge, and adventure.

John is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Mary Jane, who was his constant companion and the love of his life. Together, they built a family that was the center of John’s world. He leaves behind three children—Becky Compton, Teresa Walters, and John (Johnny) Baldwin —who will forever remember him as a loving and gentle father.  John is also survived by his two sisters, Marilyn Crone & Elaine Merrbach, 6 grandchildren (Megan, Lindsay, Carlos, Jacob, Ryan and Benjamin) and 3 great-grandchildren (Conner, Avery and Gideon).

Born on September 26, 1942, John was a warm-hearted soul with a deep love for music, teaching, and travel. In his early years, he was an accomplished trombone player in high school, which sparked a lifelong passion for music. This love continued throughout his life, and finally culminated when he joined the choir at Christ Church in College Station, TX.  He found it to not only be a place to sing but a community of friends who became family. For John, music was a way to express emotions he preferred not to share in words.

Beyond music, John found great joy in teaching and inspiring young minds. For over 20 years he shared his expertise in chemical engineering as a senior lecturer at Texas A&M University.  He taught the plant design course and left a lasting impact on generations of students who studied chemical engineering. Seeing his students grasp complex concepts and develop a passion for engineering brought him immense satisfaction, and his influence will be felt by the countless young engineers he mentored along the way.

Throughout their life together, John and Mary Jane enjoyed traveling with family and friends.  They explored America by car, traveled Europe by boat and visited China and Qatar.  Together, they created beautiful memories and a rich tapestry of experiences that enriched their lives.  He will be dearly missed by his family, his friends at Christ Church, his students, and all whose lives were touched by his warmth and guidance.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to the Texas A&M Foundation for the Mary Jane & John Baldwin ‘64 Endowed Chemical Engineering Scholarship Fund, honoring John’s commitment to education and his love for the next generation of explorers, thinkers, and creators.