Barry L. Laird

Barry Lee Laird, 79, passed away at his home in Indianapolis, Indiana, on January 9, 2025. Born on August 31, 1945, in Greensburg, Indiana, Barry was the youngest son of Chester and Dorothy (Handley) Laird. He grew up in Greensburg and graduated from Greensburg Community High School in 1963. Barry married his high school sweetheart, Jane Elizabeth Maynard, on June 4, 1966. In 1970, they moved to Indianapolis, where they raised their son and daughter, and remained lifelong residents of the east side. 

Barry received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1967 and earned a Master of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Engineering in 1975, both from Purdue University. He started his career with Indianapolis Power and Light in 1967 in Substation Design and Protective Devices Engineering. He rose through the ranks during his 34 years of dedicated service at IPL, retiring in 2001 as the Director of Transmission and Distribution. Barry was a Registered Professional Engineer and a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He was also a licensed Amateur Radio Operator. 

When his children were young, Barry imparted his love of baseball to them, taking the family on road trips to Cincinnati to see the “Big Red Machine” on their path to becoming World Series Champions in 1975 and 1976. He spent years as a little league coach, umpire, board member, and president of Warren Little League. He went on to become Central Indiana District Administrator for Little League Baseball. His love for baseball also inspired him to become an IHSAA and NCAA umpire.

Barry was a Boilermaker to the core. A die-hard fan of Purdue athletics, he loved attending and watching Purdue basketball and football games, cheering for the Boilers since his days as a student in West Lafayette. And anyone who ever watched a Purdue game with Barry could confirm that he was never shy about colorfully expressing his opinions on the quality of Big Ten officiating! 

Barry was a skilled and avid golfer. He played on his high school golf team, and his love for the game endured for the rest of his life. He was a longtime member and past president of Maple Creek Country Club. He got to experience the thrill of playing in several Pro-Am events and scored two holes-in-one during his lifetime on the links! Though he was physically unable to play golf in recent years, he still enjoyed watching it on television and never wanted to miss a major tournament. 

Fishing was the hobby that Barry was most passionate about, especially later in life. He enjoyed many fishing trips through the years with his friends, son, and grandsons, across Indiana, the Midwest, and fly-in trips to Canada. He spent hours tying his own flies in the cold winter months, and even occasionally sold his creations to other fly-fishing enthusiasts at the Indianapolis Boat, Sport & Travel Show. Near the end of his life, he was especially thrilled whenever he and his fishing buddies could get away for a few days and relax at their favorite fishing spots on the Barbee Chain of Lakes.

Barry volunteered his time generously and enthusiastically to several community organizations over the years. He was a longtime member and past president of Lawrence Sertoma Club. He also served as Precinct Committeeman and Ward Vice-Chairman for the Marion County Republican Party. In his retirement, Barry was blessed with happiness when he spent time helping others and serving God as a member of Old Bethel United Methodist Church. He looked forward to his shifts at the food pantry and, of course, the fun and fellowship of working at the annual fish fry. He also made several mission trips to Reynosa, Mexico, and was as thankful for those uplifting experiences as the families of Reynosa were for the help they received. 

Barry is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Jane; son, Michael (Victoria) Laird; daughter, Elizabeth (Michael) Orban; grandchildren, Justin and Dylan Laird, and Sarah Orban; brother, Aaron (Julia) Laird; nieces, Barbara (Don) Barthelemy and Penny (Jeff) Moore; favorite nephew, Chester Lee (Marceilla) Laird; cousins, Jackie Brown and Rosie Handley. Barry was preceded in death by his parents, older brother Dean, and granddaughters Amanda and Brooke Orban.

We invite all those who knew and loved Barry to join us as we say our final goodbyes and celebrate his eternal life with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 18, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at Old Bethel United Methodist Church, located at 7995 E. 21st St, Indianapolis, IN 46219. A funeral service will immediately follow at 12:00 pm. A private entombment will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Old Bethel and Partners Food Pantry (https://onrealm.org/OldBethelUnited/-/form/give/FoodPantry?).