William Franklin Baird Sr.

William “Bill” Franklin Baird, Sr. of Moreno Valley, California, passed away peacefully at the age of 84 on Friday, October 28, 2022 in Riverside, California. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on Tuesday, February 15, 1938 to his parents Melvin Scott Baird, Sr. and Lurrah Virginia (Coffield) Baird. He was the third child of his father’s (due to a previous marriage) and first of his parents in their marriage.

Bill’s family moved to South Bend, Indiana while he was a young child and attended his elementary, junior high, and high school education in South Bend. He graduated from John Adams High School in 1956. After high school, he attended Ball State Teachers’ College, now known as Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana and graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor’s Degree. During the time he attended Ball State, he met and fell in love with Shirley Goens. They got married on November 25, 1960.

Bill and Shirley moved from Indiana to Toledo, Ohio right after their nuptials and begann their family and his career in education. He worked for the Toledo Public schools teaching elementary students, then also began working for the Ohio Youth Commission’s Maumee Youth Camp School in Liberty, Ohio. He worked as the Assistant Principal there for several years. His young family moved to Columbus, Ohio where he continued his career helping troubled youth. He then began his Master’s Degree Program at Bowling Green State University of which he completed shortly afterwards. His career in Ohio also included being the Principal of Goddard High School at the Training Center for Youth in Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, he became the Principal at Scioto Village School for Girls, which housed imprisoned minor females'. He retired from Ohio School System 1980.

Bill and his family moved to Rialto, California in January, 1980. He worked for the Kmart store in Rialto and was a substitute teacher for the Fontana Unified School District until he got hired on permanently as an elementary teacher with the San Bernardino City Unified School District where he enjoyed teaching sixth grade. He taught in that district for 20 years at Thompson, Lincoln, Del Rosa and Kimbark Elementary Schools. He retired from this district in 2002. Bill dedicated 41 total years in his educational career in both Ohio and California collectively.

Bill enjoyed golfing with is friends while he lived in Ohio, was a Boy Scout leader and baseball coach for his sons. Bill enjoyed boating, bowling, traveling, spending time with family, going to family reunions each year, going to casinos, playing cards, learning about family genealogy and telling stories to all who would listen.

Bill is survived by his wife Shirley; their four children: son – Bill Jr., and Brian, and daughters – Valerie and Virginia “Ginny”; sons-in-laws Tony and Harold; daughters-in-law Annabelle and Tina; grandchildren: Leticia, David, Chris, Kenneth, Ronald, Ciana, Donovan, Justin and McKenzie; numerous great-grandchildren; brother Melvin ll; sisters Lois and Beverly; two sisters-in-law: Yvonne and Theda; numerous nieces and nephews; and family that were adopted initially through friendship. He was preceded in death by his parents Melvin and Lurrah, in addition to his grandson Frank.