Don Baird, who served as mayor of Colmesneil for nine consecutive terms, died last Thursday at the age of 97, in Newton.
Baird was a long-time businessman and community leader in Colmesneil prior to getting elected to office, and in 2015, the Tyler County Chamber of Commerce honored him as “Citizen of the Year.”
Baird first ran for the mayoral position for the City of Colmesneil in 2002 and beat the incumbent. During his tenure in office, he and Pct. 3 Commissioner Mike Marshall created the Emergency Service District #7, which services the Colmesneil area as its volunteer fire department.
Baird stepped down as mayor in 2021, after serving for 19 years, and then-councilmember Duane Crews was appointed to fill the position.
When Crews, who still serves as the city’s mayor, was appointed, he said of Baird that he “set the bar pretty high” and did a great deal for the community while in office.
“I don’t think any other mayor has been through what he has. We’ve had three major hurricanes, floods, and droughts on his watch. He’s been there through it all, and I want to thank him for a job well done,” he said.
Baird and his wife Barbara, who preceded him in death, in January, owned and operated K&J’s Country Market (formerly Davis Grocery) in Colmesneil for many years.
The couple were also remembered fondly for their elaborate Christmas displays at their former home, on Sutton Drive, which became a tradition for Christmas light sightseers in the area.
Colmesneil city secretary Wendy Bendy said at the time of his stepping down as mayor that he “has been the best boss, mentor, and leader I have ever had the pleasure of working for.”
Baird’s leadership through the years was honored by way of a resolution in 2021 from the state House of Representatives, penned by then-Rep. James White, which noted Baird’s ability to obtain grants for Colmesneil’s infrastructure and his role in creating ESD #7.
Baird’s leadership also saw the city through three catastrophic hurricanes: Rita in 2005, Ike in 2008 and Harvey in 2017. The resolution noted his “calm, thoughtful leadership” throughout every challenge put before him, as well as his friendship and mentorship to many. In 2018, on the occasion of his 90th birthday, Rep. Brian Babin honored him with a proclamation.
