Vance D. Baird

Vance D. Baird, 82 of Mason City, died Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 while at work at the NIACC athletic department.

Memorial services will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 at Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 2nd ST. SE, Mason City. Personal remarks will be shared by Dan Mason of NIACC and scripture selections by Rita Baird. Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. Wednesday. Vance would like you to dress for comfort – NIACC clothing/colors are welcome. Inurnment will be at Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, IA, at a later date. Memorials may be made to the Vance D. Baird Memorial Fund.

Vance was born on March 25, 1935 in Waterloo to Rex Irving and Esther Wood Baird. He graduated from Rockford High School in 1954. He attended Mason City Community College and then went on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Upper Iowa in Fayette, and his Master’s in Education from Drake. He taught school in Orange, Parkersburg, and Rudd Rockford Marble Rock Community Schools. Later he became an assistant Football Coach for NIACC and continued working in the Athletic Department until his death. At NIACC Vance was known as Mr. Everything because he did everything. He was also the “Den Mother” for years in the NIACC dormitories. For NIACC no job was too big or too small for Vance as he cherished being part of the NIACC family. In 2014 he was inducted into the NIACC Athletic Hall of Fame, receiving a Distinguished Service Award.

In his early years Vance achieved his Eagle Scout Award and he was the summer baseball coach in Rockford. He owned a scuba diving shop in Mason City and enjoyed traveling to Key West to scuba dive. He also cross country skied, was an avid golfer, and Hawkeye fan. On several veteran’s occasions he was the speaker for the VFW in Mason City.

Vance’s love for music started at Rockford High School where he was a drum major. Vance was a long-time North Iowa Band Festival supporter. He served as the Band Festival Coordinator for 8 years and was the ‘go-to’ person to kick off the parade each year. In 2009 he was the Grand Marshall of the annual Band Festival parade. He also regularly volunteered at the Music Man Square.

Those thankful for being family to Vance are his brothers Richard and wife Rita, Manly, Dru Johnston and wife Sharon, West Branch, sisters Fonda and husband Gerald Collins, Van Meter, and Judith Deon Stadtlander, Mason City, eleven nieces and nephews, his NIACC family, and McDonald’s morning coffee gang.

Preceding Vance in death are his mother & father, his step-father, Donald J. Johnston, and brother-in-law Lenard Stadtlander.

Arrangements are with Fullerton Funeral Home, 123 2nd St SE, Mason City, IA 50401, 641-423-8676; www.Fullertonfh.com; Facebook/Fullertonfuneralhomes.