Joseph G Baird

Joseph Garnett "Red" Baird was born Oct. 22, 1926, in Shreveport, to Annie Rambin and Joseph Garnett Baird Sr. He was a graduate of C.E. Byrd High School and an outstanding tackle who was inducted as a charter member to the Byrd High School Athletic Hall of Fame on April 4, 1992. His records are All-City, four years; All-North Louisiana, three years; All-State, two years; and All-Southern, one year. He started every game for four years, adding up to 44 consecutive games. Byrd had a special assembly for Joe's birthday. After graduating from Byrd, Joe entered the U.S. Navy, serving for 10 months on a ship going to China, Japan and many other countries and islands during World War II. He witnessed martial law in San Francisco on VJ Day. He then came home and joined the LSU football team, where he lettered for four years. He played in the Cotton Bowl in 1947 and the Sugar Bowl in 1950. Joe married Dorothy Gail Gray of Shreveport and had two sons, Gregory and Gary, and a grandson, Michael. He was in the construction business for some time with Albert Hart, who named Baird Drive for Joe. Joe received a master's degree in education from LSU and taught history and math at Central, Baker, Kenilworth and Glasgow schools. Joe retired after 23 years of teaching to become a real estate appraiser. He also managed an American Legion baseball team for nine years that included his two sons. Joe received his 40-year certificate for VA Real Estate Appraisal last month. After Joe's wife died, Joe married Patsy Dickson Sandifer from Shreveport in 1992. Joe is survived by sons, Greg and Gary and his wife, Pam; grandson, Michael; sister, Mildred Farmer, Woodland Hills, Calif.; niece, Garnett Jean Farmer, Woodland Hills; niece, Cathy Fischer and her children, Mary Ann and Bill Fischer, all of Boise, Idaho; and his wife, Patsy, her daughters, Susi McKinnon and Jett Jones, her son, Dick Sandifer, her granddaughters, Courtney Sandifer, Emily Jones, and grandsons, Preston Graves, Grant Grigsby and Matthew Jones. Visiting at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., on Thursday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. until service at 11 a.m. Burial in Greenoaks Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Al Simpson, L.N. Coxe, Terry Edwards, Bill Wray, Cart Varnado and Carl Meriwether.