Charles Richard “Dick” Baylis II, 76, a Warren County resident and Queens, N.Y., native was born May 1, 1942 and passed away March 14 at Alvin C. York Medical Center following an extended illness.

After studying the Bible, Dick was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on July 10, 1999. He was zealous for the Kingdom message, a minister of good news and hope to all he met in the face of increasing challenges due to advancing age and illness. Dick was straightforward but heartfelt when advising as an elder of the McMinnville congregation at the Kingdom Hall. Dear friends regard him as faithful and deeply encouraging. All will miss his stories, laughter and smile.

He was a United States Air Force veteran of Vietnam, retired self-employed mechanic, and son of the late Charles Richard Baylis I and Mary Nikovitts Baylis. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by wife Barbara Earls Baylis.

Mr. Baylis is survived by children, David (Joy) Gornto of Maryville, Kimberly Baylis of Albany, Ga., Jennifer (John) Whittington of Lebanon, Barbara (Lewis) Giddens of Eastman, Ga., and Jessica (Nic) Lahde of Rock Island; six grandchildren, Adam Alewine, Jannie (Keenan) Evans, Michael Whittington, Heather Taylor, Christian and Jacob Gornto; great-grandson, Kaiden Evans; and sister Patricia Osborne of Corning, N.Y.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 30, at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses with Michael Meadows Sr. to officiate. The address for the service is 1015 Harrison Ferry Rd., McMinnville, TN 37110. Online condolences may be made to www.highfuneralhome.com.

High Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Southern Standard

(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 29, 2019