Terrence Wayne Baucom

Terry Baucom, 56, of Carrollton, Texas, passed away on Thursday, August 30 after a long battle with prostate cancer. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Terry was raised in Campbellsport, Wisconsin on a farm. He was the second of four children and the only son of Justus Wayne Baucom and Alice McCarty Baucom.

At 18, Terry joined the Army and after graduating from Adjutant General School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana, he was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany, where he worked as a legal clerk until his discharge in May of 1978. He met his wife, Cindy, there in Stuttgart. Terry loved travel as did Cindy, and they enjoyed taking the train to different cities within Germany as well as tours to other European cities. Terry loved photography and his photographs live on as a testament to the beauty that he saw in everyday places and people.

Terry was very athletic and enjoyed being part of the RB Allstars softball team along with a wonderful group of guys that meant so much to him. Their team traveled all around the country playing ball, where they won numerous trophies. Terry and Cindy were part of a very close-knit group of friends that were more like family, many of whom they kept in touch with over the years.

Cindy and Terry were married on June 24th, 1978 in Barre, Vermont. On returning to Stuttgart, Terry was a “dependent” husband as Cindy completed her service. He worked for the government in accounting and finance. Their oldest child, Trevor, was born in Stuttgart.

In December of 1980, Terry and Cindy relocated to Alexandria, Virginia, where Terry continued in his civil service work at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in the finance and accounting department. Their second child, Brent, was born in Alexandria. Three years later Terry received a job offer in Texas, and the couple decided to move to Texas where their third child, Alison, was born.

Terry worked for Omega Optical, now Essilor of America, from December of 1983 until his medical retirement in May of 2011. He was first in the accounting department, and later was facilities manager. Terry was never a stranger to work and devoted many long hours to his job. He enjoyed wonderful coworkers during his time there and called many of them friends.

Terry was always proud of his three children: Trevor, Brent, and Alison. He loved them unconditionally and championed them to be the best they could be. He expected a lot from them and knew that each of them had the potential to do great things. Of all the things that Terry and Cindy did together, they considered the children to be their greatest achievements. Terry was a good husband and father who enjoyed spending time fishing with the kids when they were young. He was very involved in their athletic pursuits and coached their baseball teams a time or two. With all three children involved in athletics, he made every effort to attend as many of their games as possible and could be heard cheering on their teams from the bleachers.

Terry and Cindy were blessed with four beautiful grandchildren that were the apples of his eye. There wasn’t a single person he knew that didn’t hear about how smart Noah was, how accomplished Blaike was, how talented Owen was, and how adorable Aiden was. They all brought him tremendous joy.

Terry loved good food and often recalled his Aunt Helen’s cooking with fondness. He enjoyed cooking himself and was very good at it. He always encouraged the family to be adventurous in trying new foods, and as a result, all three of the children developed good cooking skills and an equal appreciation for good food.

Terry never met a stranger. He was gregarious and interested in other people and their lives. On hearing an accent, he would ask the person where they were from and encourage them to tell their stories. Terry was very interested in military history and was an avid reader of military books, especially those about Viet Nam. He was very knowledgeable and enjoyed talking with veterans about their service experiences.

During the last months of his life, Terry was blessed with visits from his children, grandchildren, friends and family members. In the final weeks, he enjoyed numerous phone calls from old friends and family that brightened his days. He said that he didn’t realize that he had so many friends.

Terry will be fondly remembered as a storyteller. He had a good story about almost everything under the sun. We will cherish those stories and the memories of Terry that they invoke.

Terry leaves behind his wife, Cindy, of 34 years; his son, Trevor, and wife Jill; his son, Brent, and wife, Adriana; his daughter, Ali; four grandchildren: Noah, Blaike, Owen, and Aiden; three sisters: Denise, Barbara, and Yvette, and numerous cousins, aunts and uncles in Wisconsin as well as many relatives in North Carolina and other eastern states.

Terry was cared for by wonderful nurses and aides of Ardent Hospice following the end of his treatment with Texas Oncology in Lewisville, whose outstanding staff was so supportive and caring. The family is very grateful to them all.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ and the American Cancer Society.

Arrangments under the directon of Rhoton Funeral Home Carrollton, Texas.