Everett Doyle Laird

Ret. Lt. Colonel, US Air Force
July 9, 1930 - May 29, 2012
Everett Doyle Laird, 81, of Bryan, passed away peacefully on May 29, 2012 at the Hospice Brazos Valley in-patient facility in Bryan. Funeral services will be held at 12p.m. Noon on Saturday, June 2, 2012 at Hillier Funeral Home in Bryan. Visitation for family and friends will be held on prior to the service from 11a.m. to 12p.m. Interment with military honors will immediately follow the service in the Aggie Field of Honor of the College Station Memorial Cemetery. Hillier Funeral Home is entrusted to his care.
Everett was born to Claude and Vida Pearl Faulkner Laird in Goldthwaite, Texas and was one of seven children. Upon completing high school, he joined the Air Force where he served a distinguished career of 23 years. Everett achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel and was the recipient of several service awards including the Bronze Star, Air Force Commendation, and Distinguished Military Service medals.
He was married to JoAnn Neas for over 61 years. Together they raised two sons teaching the values of honesty, hard work and respect. Everett received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Texas A&M University in 1957 and was the Distinguished Military Graduate of his class. He had a fond love for Texas A&M and purposely retired in Bryan so his two sons could attend the university.
After his retirement from the Air Force in 1975, Everett joined the staff at the Texas A&M System as the Assistant to the Director of the Texas Agriculture Experiment Station. He held other positions at Texas A&M for over 11 years before permanently retiring in 1986. He was a member of the Lutheran faith and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Since his days as a young boy in Goldthwaite, Everett had a love for airplanes and flying. Having formal pilot training in the US Air Force, Everett maintained his private pilot and aircraft mechanics licenses until recently. He owned numerous aircraft over the years and loved his hobby of restoring old airplanes.
He is preceded in death by his parents.
Everett is survived by his loving wife, JoAnn Laird; his two sons, Jack Laird and wife Sherry of Maricopa, Arizona, and James Laird and wife Jeannie of Bryan; his two grandsons, Jason Laird of Eugene, Oregon and Jeffery Laird of Bryan; his brothers, Kenneth Laird and wife Angela, Jerry Laird and wife Frances , all of Santa Fe, Texas and Russell Laird and his wife Connie; his sisters, Cleeta Woodruff, and Claudeen Zeller, both of Houston and Jo Ann Wilson, of New Braunfels and numerous nieces, nephews, extensive family and friends. He also leaves behind his beloved dog Midji.
The Laird family would like to express its sincere gratitude for the loving care given to Everett during his extended illness by Frances Laird, Jo Ann Wilson and the staff and nurses of Brazos Hospice Valley. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be sent to the Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840. Please designate the "Everett D. Laird Memorial Scholarship in Mays Business School" in the memo line of the check.