JUSTUS NATHAN BAIRD III

BAIRD, JUSTUS NATHAN, III - died April 21, 2013, in Arlington, Virginia, from prostate cancer. He was preceded in death by his sister, Deborah Tilson Baird. He is survived by his sister, Barbara Baird of Harriman, Tennessee. He was born on February 8, 1943, to Dr. "Betty" Mary Elizabeth Tilson Baird Brown and Justus Nathan Baird, Jr. in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating from the Castle Heights Military Academy High School (Lebanon, TN) in 1960, he went on to earn four degrees: B.S. Forestry with a swimming scholarship (U. Georgia at Athens, 1964), M.A. in Entomology including extensive work in central America (U. Kansas, 1968), Masters in Public Health (U. Texas, 1973), and PhD in Environmental Health (U. Texas, 1989). From 1968 to 1971 he was a captain in the US Army, Medical Service Corps, and served in Vietnam, protecting troops from infectious diseases. In his first career, Justus directed public health departments in Houston, San Antonio, and Milwaukee. In his second career, he worked as a board certified financial planner and ski patrol director. Throughout his life he pursued a number of passions: tracing his Scottish ancestry, barbershop singing, investing, sailboat racing, competitive masters swimming, and messing around with computers. His community advocacy included fighting for visitation rights of divorced fathers and improving local environmental planning. A voracious reader, Justus was known for his breadth of knowledge in a wide variety of topics and would threaten anyone who tried to dispose of his copious amounts of reading material. He shared his love of nature through his bountiful gardening, family camping trips, and timeless photography. He is survived by two ex-wives, Linda Elaine Janson of Houston (maiden name Norling, married from 1970-1980), and Dr. Salpi Adrouny of Atlanta (married from 1991-2012). He is also survived by two children from his first marriage, son, Rabbi Justus N. Baird, IV of Princeton, NJ, and daughter Dr. Jennifer Baird Humberson of Richmond, VA. Justus cherished his five grandchildren and fostered in them a love for reading, sports, and the outdoors. A graveside service will be held Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at Roane Memorial Gardens located at 1400 North Gateway Avenue in Rockwood, TN, followed by a memorial service at 2:00 p.m. at Bethel Presbyterian Church at 203 South Kentucky Street in Kingston, TN. Donations may be made to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.