Kenneth Ray Baird

Kenneth Ray Baird, age 90, of Garland TX, passed away Saturday morning, August 17th, 2024. He was born in Lindsay, Oklahoma on December 18th, 1933. Kenneth graduated from Maysville High School in Maysville, Oklahoma. He entered the United States Marine Corps serving from 1950-1954, barely seventeen years old with a signed waiver from his father. He was deployed to Korea in 1953 where he served until the end of the war. Ken was honorably discharged in 1954 and returned to attend Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, where he met the love of his life, Darleen Rollins that same year. They wed on March 30th, 1956. They were married 63 years. Darleen preceded him in death in 2019.

He became a faithful member of Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, in 1969. Kenneth had a career as the owner of U.S. Overseas Transportation, a freight brokerage, until his retirement. Ken had a lifelong passion for flying and became an aerobatic pilot in 1970. He owned many planes through the years and loved to “buzz” the house on the weekends when everyone was home, scaring Darleen to death and delighting Kathy and her friends when he would flip upside down and wave at her with his wings. He logged thousands of hours flying and said they were some of the happiest times of his life.

Ken embraced his native American heritage by hand making bows and arrows for his family. He was a true free spirit, enjoying shooting at the gun range and deep-sea fishing all over the world. In his later years, he loved gardening and caring for their home, as well as grilling a perfect steak. But nothing made him as proud as the accomplishments of his daughter and granddaughters. He attended seemingly every event in their lives, great and small. He embraced his Oklahoma heritage and took great delight when his youngest granddaughter was given a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma! She is now in her second year there.

He is survived by his beloved daughter, Kathy Baird Turner of Rockwall TX, his beautiful granddaughters Kennedy Mirike (and her husband Matthew Mirike) of College Station TX, Kassidy Turner of Coppell TX, and Kacey Turner of Norman OK, as well as his sister-in-law Noreta Vandiver, and several beloved nieces and nephews. Funeral arrangements will be held at 2:00 PM September 9th, 2024, at the Sparkman-Crane Funeral Home in Dallas, TX.