Stephan Scott Baggett

Stephan Scott Baggett, age 74, passed away peacefully in his home in Kennedale, TX on December 19, 2021 surrounded by his loving family. Steve was a beloved husband, father, and “Pappy” to his family. Steve was born on January 13, 1947 in Fort Worth, TX. He was the oldest of four boys born to Louis Miller Baggett and Nelo Gean Westerfield Baggett.

Steve grew up in Arlington, TX with his parents and three brothers: Tommy, Phillip, and Tim Baggett. His family attended First Baptist Church where he was baptized at the age of ten. Growing up in small town Arlington, the brothers loved meeting with friends to play all kinds of ball games, especially baseball. They spent countless hours at the end of Truman Street playing ball at the “sticker bowl”. Often they might head out to creeks and swing across them on a rope or fall into the creek where water moccasins were spotted unbeknownst to their parents. When he came of age, he joined Little League Baseball teams. Steve had the fortune of having Maurice Young as a coach whom Steve proclaimed as one of the best baseball coaches ever. After Mr. Young’s death, Maurice was honored by the city by having a baseball field at Randol Mill Park named after him. Steve played varsity baseball at Arlington High School and graduated in 1965.

After graduation from high school, Steve attended East Texas State University in Commerce, TX. There he joined the Air Force ROTC in his junior year. He met Lydia Griffin who belonged to an organization called Angel Flight, which supported the young men who would be entering the military service after college. He called Lydia his “Angel”, and the two married before he left to serve in the Air Force in Tacoma, WA at McChord AFB as a weapons controller. The next year, their first child, Michelle Kathryn was born on Father’s Day. Steve thought that the birth of his first child was the best Father’s Day gift ever. As they drove home on the highway to take their newborn home, Steve stuck his head out the car window and yelled, “Yahoo!” They lived in Tacoma, WA for a year and a half until Steve received orders to go overseas to serve in Korea during the Vietnam era.

When he returned from Korea, Steve was assigned to Holloman AFB in New Mexico near the White Sands missile range. In New Mexico, their second child, Renee Kathleen, was born. After he finished four and a half years of duty in the Air Force, Steve and Lydia and their children moved to College Station where Steve attended Texas A&M University. There he earned a Masters of Arts degree in Political Science. While at TAMU, he became a teaching assistant and taught a political science class for freshmen.

The family returned to Arlington where they bought their first home. Steve decided to go to work for the FAA as an air traffic controller, applying the skills he gained as a weapons controller while in the Air Force. Later, Steve worked for Horace Mann and Employers Insurance. After that, he secured a job with Medical Protective, where he handled medical malpractice lawsuits for doctors whom his company insured. He spent 20 years with this company before he retired. At the same time, Lydia secured a job as a schoolteacher. Their third child, Kelly Nicole, was born during these years.

With all of his daughters, Steve promoted the importance of learning and getting a good education. His daughters listened well as all the girls went on to earn numerous college degrees. Steve also got highly involved in his daughters’ extracurricular activities. He helped coach their softball and soccer teams. He began as an assistant coach on Michelle’s softball team, the Apaches. Then he took over as head coach of Renee’s soccer team, the Blazers. Steve spent six years coaching them. Later he became an assistant coach on Kelly’s soccer team, the Starlites. He saw an opportunity to not only teach team members sports skills, but to also instill values in the players on all their teams just as he did with his own daughters and in later life with his grandchildren. To him, it was important to teach “life” values like: “Don’t quit - always give it your best even if the odds are against you”; “treat the other team’s players with respect whether you won the game or lost.” Steve also promoted the character traits of kindness and caring whether on or off the field.

When his daughters left home and attended college, Steve got involved with his grandchildren’s activities. He attended Peyton’s dance recitals and her soccer and lacrosse games. He would tell Peyton to do your best just like you should do in your adult life one day. When his grandson Carson began playing baseball, Steve helped Carson’s father coach the team. “Pappy” taught him to be a “can do man” and not to say “I can’t do that” but to always try. He told the grandkids and his daughters to give credit where credit is due in a defeat but know that you will return with desire the next time to work even harder. He said a loss is a setback but to not view it as a defeat. Pap told them as he did his own children that this philosophy carries over into adulthood when facing difficult situations in future jobs.

In his later years, Steve enjoyed numerous trips to visit the family farm in McGregor/Moody, TX. Many days were spent on the tractor mowing the land with his brothers Tommy, Tim, and wife Lydia, along with his children and grandchildren. Oh, how he loved going to the farm, digging up cactus, cutting branches off the cedars, or just mowing down the grass on their 50 acres! In his free time after retiring, Steve also continued his love of reading a wide array of books. He especially liked reading historical and political books and watched documentaries as well. Also he spent countless hours researching the genealogy of his family and that of Lydia’s family. He loved tracing the history of his family and reviewed many sites so he could record accurate data on his family. He spent his last days updating the family albums and remembering those who had gone before us. It was evident that family meant the world to him. Steve always said he was “ the luckiest man alive” and that “life has been kind to me”.

Steve will receive full military honors at a small family ceremony at DFW National Cemetery in Dallas, TX on Thursday, January 6, 2022, after which he will be interred in the columbarium wall. The following Saturday, January 8, 2022, Steve will be honored in a “Celebration of Life” ceremony at First Methodist Church Mansfield at 10:00 a.m. Those wishing to join the service remotely may do so by visiting www.fmcm.org/funeral

Steve is survived by his wife Lydia, daughters: Michelle Lawrence, Renee Baggett, and Kelly Baggett; grandchildren: Peyton Lawrence and Carson Lawrence; brothers: Tommy, Phillip, and Tim; sisters-in-law: Sharon, Nancy and Janet, and Geri England; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association, Meals on Wheels or a charity of choice.