Leon Baird, age 85, passed peacefully on June 4, 2024 to be with his Heavenly Father. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Diana Baird, and four sisters- Anna Newsom of Lyman, South Carolina; Carole Ratledge of Maryville, Tennessee; Shirley Seguin and Brenda Davis of Atlanta, Georgia and their families.

Leon grew up in the Maryville and Friendsville, Tennessee area with his sisters and his parents, Nola and Gene Davis. In his youth, he loved the lake where he worked many days at the boat dock swimming and fishing. From there he went to an east Tennessee college where his love for baseball began. After a couple of college years, he joined the United States Army. He was stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

From his Army days, he decided to continue his college degree work and to play baseball at Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree. He became an avid fan of sports for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. In his college years he developed his talent as a salesman. One of his most interesting sales positions was with the Dale Carnegie Courses where he taught the course based on the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People along with the "Sales Course".

Following this experience, he created his own marketing company, Baird Cards and Marketing. He devoted his time to helping businesses promote themselves while recognizing and appreciating their employees. During this time, he developed a love for writing, Braves baseball, golf and traveling to California, Canada and the east coast of Florida in search of the best golf courses. One of his favorite courses was the Graysburg Hills Golf Course in Tennessee, shown behind this obituary text. He especially loved poetry, so he published some of the poems he had written during the years. The book is titled Love, the Gentler Teacher . Heart of a Friend, Terrific Two-God and You and My Heart's Best Hope are just a few of the selections.

Leon was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia. It meant a lot to him to know the Care Pastor and a Stephen Minister cared for him during his final days. The family would like to give a special thanks to Agape Hospice and Marietta Funeral Home for their compassion, care and support during this difficult time. There will be a private family memorial service for Leon in June at the Paces House in Vinings, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, you may contribute to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research .