Jay Baines

retired funeral director and former executive director, Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association, died August 26, 2021, at age 72. Baines graduated from Northwestern State University in Oklahoma and joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve in 1971 as a pharmacist tech at Vance Air Force Base and later served at Tinker Air Force Base. He was honorably discharged in 1978.

Baines later attended Central State University and received his bachelor’s degree in mortuary science and worked for Guardian Midtown Funeral Home. He also started a career in mortgage lending, working for Mid-First and Liberty Mortgage from 1976-88.

In December 1988, he began working for the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association as its executive director, retiring in 2014 after 26 years. Baines was instrumental in heading up the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association Convention each year and helped many funeral directors become better directors.

He is survived by wife Carol and his cousins.