Nancy Anne Baird

SAWYER - Nancy Anne Baird, 73, of Sawyer, passed suddenly, Thursday, September 25, 2025, in the comfort of her husband's presence.

Her life began October 3, 1951 in Warren, Ohio, the youngest and only girl of three brothers born to James and Virginia (nee Loving) Baird. Nancy and Robert have been together for over twenty years.

Nancy spent most of her life in Kent, Ohio. She graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School and went on to earn both a B.A. and M.A. in Education from Kent State University. While attending Kent State, she lived through the tragic events of May 4th, when four students were killed and nine others wounded by the Ohio National Guard, an experience that left a lasting influence on her life.

Nancy taught fourth grade at Longcoy Elementary School for thirty years before retiring. She spent her summers in Sawyer, where she enjoyed the company of family and relatives in homes built by her great-grandfather in the 1920s. She loved Lake Michigan, often walking along the shoreline to collect crinoids and beach glass.

Later in life, Nancy reconnected with Bob, whom she had first met thirty-five years earlier. Together they lived happily in South Dakota before settling permanently in Michigan with their beloved dog, Casey McDuff.

Nancy was an active member of many communities, including the Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Honorary Society in Ohio, Chikaming Country Club, and she served as secretary for the Stewardship Committee of Chikaming Open Lands. A devoted golfer, she played for many years and even won the nine-hole Ladies Championship. She had a wide range of hobbies – attending movies, dining out, playing games and solving crossword puzzles, and pursuing her passion for interior design. Nancy cherished her game group and book club friends in Shorewood Hills. Outgoing, conversational, and full of joy, Nancy loved people and made friends easily.

Nancy will be greatly missed by family and friends. She is survived by her beloved husband, Robert Tatina of Sawyer; step-daughter, Heather Adams of Mitchell, South Dakota; sister-in-law, Bobbi Baird of Kent, Ohio, and her family Courtney and Paul Clark and their sons Anderson and Jackson of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; in-laws of Jim Baird III, Lori and Jim Stone of Kent, Ohio and their daughters Michelle and Clare Stone; cousins, Kristy (Steven) Pokorny of Riverwoods, Illinois, Ginny (Mitchell) Novak of St. Charles, Illinois, and Debbie (Bill) Corcoran of Springfield, Missouri; the Borchers, Loving, and Greenwood families; and special friends, the Tarpley and the Zimmerman families.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and three brothers, Jim, Doug, and Bob Baird.

Family and friends will gather Thursday, October 2, 2025 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. in Wagner Family Funerals Pobocik Chapel, 106 Ash Street East, Three Oaks. A memorial service will be held, Friday, October 3, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. in Three Oaks United Methodist Church, 2 East Sycamore Street, Three Oaks, Michigan 49128.

The family prefers contributions in memory of Nancy be made to The ALS Foundation, 24359 Northwestern Highway, Suite 100, Southfield, Michigan 48075 or https://alsofmichigan.org/ to Three Oaks United Methodist Church, 2 East Sycamore Street, Three Oaks, Michigan 49128 or to Chikaming Open Lands, 12291 Red Arrow Highway, Sawyer, Michigan 49125.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Wagner Family Funerals Pobocik Chapel, Three Oaks. Please share a memory or a message online: wagnercares.com.