Donald E. Baptiste

Donald E. Baptiste, 74, passed away on the morning of November 16, 2023, at his home in Rehoboth. He was the husband of Carol (Hannigan) Baptiste for 53 years.
Born in Taunton, MA on October 15,1949, he was the son of the late John and Ida (Cardoza) Baptiste. He grew up in Taunton, graduating from Taunton High School. He furthered his education at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Roger Williams College and held a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering.  He also served as a member of the Army National Guard in the early 1970's.
Don retired as Director of Facilities Operations from Sturdy Memorial Hospital in 2006. During his tenure at Sturdy, he managed many on and offsite construction projects. Throughout his career he was very involved with trade organizations. He was a past President of the South Shore Hospital Engineers Society, and a member of the New England Hospital Engineers Society and American Society for Hospital Engineering. Don was also a member of the revision committee for Facilities Guidelines Institute and the Academy of Architecture for Health of the American Institute of Architects. For a time, he was also a member of the Facilities Management Advisory Committee at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Locally he generously volunteered his time to serve on the Rehoboth K-8 Building Committee, lending his experience to the project. Whether it was to teach a friend's son to understand a greyhound racing program (his favorite hobby) or mentor others in the field of facilities engineering, he was always willing to share his knowledge.
After retiring, Don and Carol wintered in Florida. He enjoyed greyhound and horse racing, visiting as many racetracks as he could while traveling around the country. He was an avid reader of science fiction and was a history buff, be it by book or History Channel.  He was a backyard gardener for many years producing some great fruits and vegetables to share with family and friends.  His pride and joy was his 30-plus-year-old asparagus bed.  In summers he "occasionally" could be sighted at the Chases Oceans Grove family cottage in Dennisport. But only if it wasn't a weekend or a holiday.
A private man, Don had an unmistakable dry sense of humor. You never knew when it would suddenly appear. Those who knew him best were lucky enough to enjoy that side of him.
In addition to his wife, Don is survived by his daughter Christine Baptiste-LaMothe and her husband Rick of Berkley. He also leaves behind his brother Jack of Falmouth, sister Joan (Baptiste) Burke of Swansea and several nieces and nephews. Don was predeceased by his sister Florence B. Furtado and brothers, Edward P. Baptiste and Paul M. Baptiste.
The family would like to thank the oncology department at The Miriam Hospital Lifespan Cancer Institute for all their care and support throughout this long and difficult journey. They would like to thank his oncologist, Dr. Safran, for his gentle understanding manner; Dr. DiPetrillo (who gave Don an exciting wheelchair trip through the tunnels of RI Hospital - the first real laugh we had seen in a long time!); and Dr. Mara for her caring guidance. In addition, they would also like to thank all the nurses and staff that they encountered along the way.
And to his nurse Jenna, a heartfelt thank you. She and Don had a special relationship. Even after he was no longer receiving treatment, she would call him on what would have been treatment day just to say "hello", see how he was doing, and chat. It made him so happy. He looked forward to "Tuesdays with Jenna". It was the highlight of his week.
The family also wants to thank all the friends and neighbors who helped run errands, provide transportation to appointments, bring meals, mow the lawn, clean up fall leaves, remove snow, and so much more, we thank you.
At Dons' request, services will not be held. Memorial donations in Don's memory may be made to Friends of the Blanding Library, 124 Bay State Road, Rehoboth MA 02769 or the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation at www.Cholangiocarcinoma.org .
For additional information or to send the family a written expression of sympathy, please visit www.dyer-lakefuneralhome.com
Arrangements are under the direction of the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home, 161 Commonwealth Avenue, Village of Attleboro Falls, North Attleboro, MA (508) 695-2000.