Jacqueline Alice (Baima) Holland 24 September 1933 – 25 April 2020

Jackie was born on Staten Island, New York, daughter of John A. Baima and Loretta M. (Donahue) Baima.  She was raised in Ramsey, New Jersey, along with her brother Jack.  During her youth, Jackie spent summers at her family's cottage in Connecticut on the Long Island sound and ventured into New York City to shop and socialize with her friends. After graduating from Columbia-Presbyterian School of Nursing in New York City, she began her career in New York City as a nurse, working in both the public and private sectors for the majority of her life.

Jackie married the love of her life in 1957, Frederick J. "Bud" Holland, and they went on to raise a family of four – Ken, Laura, Tom, and Paul.  During the early years of their marriage, Jackie and Bud, along with their growing family, resided in Rochester, New York, where Jackie worked as a nurse at Northside Hospital.  In 1966 Jackie and her family moved to Grafton, Massachusetts, a town she would always consider home.  While there, Jackie worked as a charge nurse at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester and also performed private nursing duties.  Jackie was a very active person and this lead her to be involved in a number of community activities, being a girl scout and brownie troop leader, youth center chaperone, and town library volunteer, while at the same time taking on the role of neighborhood nurse, removing stitches and applying bandages to many of her neighbors' children.

Jackie was an excellent cook, baking being her specialty.  There were always containers of her cakes, pies, brownies, and cookies in the spotless kitchen of her home, enough to satisfy the sweet tooth of her husband, children and friends.  As the community of Grafton continued to grow and expand, Jackie was always there to help, supporting the Lions club and volunteering for both school and community enrichment projects.

Bud retired from the Colgate-Palmolive Company in 1987 and soon thereafter, both he and Jackie felt the calling to aid those in need, which led them to become volunteers in the Peace Corps.  They spent two years in the Peace Corps, stationed in Botswana, Africa, where Jackie worked in the rugged conditions as both a nurse and educator at the local hospital, while Bud was a foreman for drought relief projects.

Following their time in Africa, Jackie and Bud returned to the United States and settled in Melbourne Beach, Florida, while maintaining a summer residence in Grafton.  Once again Jackie immersed herself into the local community, volunteering for a number of causes, including Guardian Ad Litem, Roving Readers and Birthright International, for which she was the regional director.  Jackie loved to play tennis and go for walks around town, always providing a cheerful greeting to those she passed along the way, be it people or pets.

Jackie travelled extensively during her lifetime, having visited many countries in the Americas, Asia and Europe, including the former Soviet Union before its fall.

Jackie was predeceased in 2003 by Bud, her husband of 46 years, and in 2019 by her son Tom.  She is survived by her daughter Laura of Grafton MA and sons Tom, Anthony, and Dominic; her son Paul, wife Kristen, and daughters Julia, Maeve, and Caroline of Hingham MA; her son Ken and wife Darlene of Reading MA; and her brother Jack and his wife Kathy of Indian Harbour Beach, FL.

In lieu of flowers, Jackie's family requests you consider a donation to the Hospice of St. Francis in Melbourne, FL.  A celebration of Jackie's life is planned for a later date.