Connie Gene Baird

Connie Gene Baird was born in Haskell County, Texas on April 28, 1934, to Velma and Wynn Baird. The town of Rule was his home until age five when he with his family moved to the plains on a farm in the panhandle to grow cotton at Amherst, Texas.

As Connie grew up, he rode Bird his horse, bareback, to school every day, played baseball, basketball, and football revealing that he was a gifted athlete. Throughout his school career, he was noted as outstanding in playing baseball because he always was encouraged to play with the older men in the community since he had an arm on him like no other. He could throw a ball and always played center field. As he was finishing up his senior year in high school, one day coaches from Hardin-Simmons of Abilene unexpectedly showed up, finding Connie at the pool hall, not in the classroom, styling in his orange cowboy hat. They convinced him that he had a lot to offer that Cowboy football team in Abilene, offering him a full football scholarship, which he finally accepted.

While there, he was coached by the one and only, “slinging” quarterback Sammy Baugh, having him start three years on the Cowboy Football team and later coached him to be named twice to the All-Border Conference. In 1956, he was named Honorable Mention All-American after leading the conference with 37 receptions which ranked him third in the nation. With a career record of 71 pass receptions for 854 yards, he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1958.” Later in 1999, Hardin-Simmons named him to their Athletic Hall of Fame.

When Baltimore drafted him, his signing bonus was $300; he often said, “This was big money to me then,” but after a short time, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and soon gained a medical discharge because of his back likely broken early in life by being thrown from, Bird his beloved horse.

While attending Hardin-Simmons, he met his future wife Martha Crawley of Lamesa, Texas and they were married February 14, 1959, when he decided to work professionally in the finance business as a collector, loan officer, head cashier, and other areas. His degree was in physical education, but his outgoing personality pulled him into the world of banking beginning at Ford Motor Credit Union; later in 1961, he moved to First National Bank in Abilene. In 1985, he joined Southwest Savings in Abilene. Active in community affairs, Connie participated in United Way, Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, Director of Abilene Country Club, Chairman of Gallery Control of SW Golf Classic, and Home Builders Association. In 1991, Connie moved with his family to Midland to assume a position of loan officer at Midland American Bank where he completed his banking career.

His love of golf gave Connie a reputation to win many club championships usually for longest drive. He developed many close friends on the greens spending most all of his retirement on the golf course. Before leaving for the day, he often said, “I am going to work” because he marshalled at Hogan Municipal Golf Course for many years. At this second home, many close buddies grew through his love of the sport of life-long relationships calling many of them at night after a day at the golf course to reminisce olden times. The last few years, Connie hunted golf balls overtaking the back yard, garage, TV room, and always had a crate in the back of his pickup after fishing them from the water ponds. Along with bag and bags of golf clubs, he could have started a resell business in golf merchandise. Through word of mouth, he found Mr. Helm from San Antonio who always came and bought them from him about twice a year. This hobby gave him a “part-time job” and he loved having that extra pocket money.

Another love was hunting which pulled him into owning hunting dogs using them to bird hunt for dove and quail, but loved calling for wild turkey, too. Everyone who knew him knew that he believed deer were too hard to clean. Among other hobbies were collecting knives and guns, going on fishing trips in East Texas and he absolutely loved traveling to South Dakota with his Missy dog, the most, to hunt pheasant.

Connie married Dorothy Tucker on November 21, 1987 to help rear two young boys. After having two daughters, in time, he grew to enjoy all the sports of soccer, baseball and football that they offered. After all the memories, he would say it was the time of his life watching all the college football games and later attending NFL games played by the “wandering athletes”.

Connie loved life and is survived by his two daughters, Holly Copeland and husband, Ken with their son, Baird Copeland, of Marble Falls, Kali Copeland and Chase Copeland of Dallas: Wendy Jones and husband, Clay of Brady, Texas with children, Zach Jones also of Brady and Martha and Dalton Little of Austin, and a great-granddaughter, Leia of Brady. His stepchildren are Natalie Silhan and her husband Kevin and three children of Morton, Texas, Ryan Tucker and four children of Ft. Worth, and Rex Tucker and three children of Conroe and many nieces of nephews.

Preceding him in death was his wife, Martha in 1985, his parents Velma Lane and Wynn Baird, and his sister Latie Stevens of Lamesa, Texas.

A memorial service will be held at 4:00pm, Saturday, July 15, 2023 at The Branch @ npw, 3800 N. Big Spring Street, Midland, Texas 79705.  Graveside service will be held at 11:00 am, Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at Elmwood Memorial Cemetery 5750 US-277, Abilene, Texas 79606.

Donations to a charity of your choice will be greatly appreciated.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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