"He deeply felt our challenges and difficulties," President Baird's First Counselor in the Stake Presidency, D. Nathan Sheets said. "He pondered them in quiet moments. He prayed for us. He didn’t serve out of responsibility or obligation, but rather out of love for the Savior and love for us, his brothers and sisters. His heart was larger than that of any man I have ever known."
It is rare for a stake president to pass away while serving especially only after two years in his calling, but that is what happened in the Washington, D.C. Stake on February 1, 2018. The headline, LDS Stake President Dies After Being Overcome by Carbon Monoxide, was published on Meridian Magazine and similar headlines made the news via radio, TV, newspaper and the internet. The sudden, accidental passing of President James R. Baird shocked his family, his flock and the community, but beneath the headlines of his death is the more compelling story of his life. A Facebook page has over 1,200 members pouring in messages remembering and honoring how he touched their lives. He was beloved by family, friends, members of his stake and the community.
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