Eileen Fouts Baldwin

Eileen Fouts Baldwin, 93, passed away peacefully on April 14, 2026, in Ellicott City, Maryland. She was born on June 17, 1932, in High Hat, Kentucky, to Blair Macklin Fouts and Hattie Mae Stallard Fouts.

Eileen grew up surrounded by family and music, traditions that would shape her life. She graduated from Ellicott City High School and later attended Tennessee Technological University. In 1952, she married the love of her life, Rupert Leon Baldwin, in Dayton, Ohio. After Rupert’s service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, the couple made their home in Cookeville, Tennessee, where Rupert attended and graduated from Tennessee Tech. They spent two years in Tampa, Florida, before returning to Cookeville, where they built their life together.

Eileen worked for many years with General Telephone & Electronics Corporation, rising to the position of operator supervisor before retiring. She later served as a registrar for Cookeville Regional Hospital before her final retirement. A lifelong learner, she returned to Tennessee Tech as an adult, where she further developed her love of painting.

Known for her bubbly personality and easy laughter, Eileen had a gift for making others feel at home. Music was at the heart of who she was. She played the bass, bass guitar, and acoustic guitar, and was a self-taught pianist who loved to sing. Family gatherings often turned into joyful sing-alongs, with bluegrass and gospel music filling the room as guitars came out and voices joined in.

Eileen was also deeply devoted to her faith and her church community at the Church of God of Prophecy in Cookeville, where she served as a Sunday School teacher, treasurer, and recording secretary. She found great purpose in helping others and quietly giving where there was need.

Her greatest joy, however, was her family—especially her grandchildren. She was their biggest cheerleader and constant companion, capturing countless moments as the family photographer. She was a master Easter egg hider, a dedicated referee of childhood games, especially Pin-the-Tail-On-the-Donkey, and an imaginative partner in dress-up adventures. She had a knack for slipping snacks to hungry grandchildren before dinner and never tired of reading their favorite stories again and again. She shared her love of music with them, singing songs like “Jesus Loves Me” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Even in her later years, when her eyesight faded, her love for music and for her grandchildren never did.

Eileen is survived by her daughter, Sandra Baldwin (Kathleen Flynn); her grandchildren, Emily Baldwin Burst (Adam Friberg), Marianne Elizabeth Burst, and John Chatfield Burst; and her former son-in-law, John Burst.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Rupert Leon Baldwin; her parents, Blair Macklin Fouts and Hattie Mae Stallard Fouts; and her siblings, Arnold Fouts, Clyde Fouts, Juanita Fouts Brittingham, Lettie Fouts Hebert, and Harold Fouts. She was also preceded in death by her late daughter-in-law, Dorayne Heyler.

Eileen will be remembered for her warmth, her humor, her music, and the way she made life a little brighter for everyone around her. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered always.