Leigh Baron

Beverly Leigh Herndon Baron (Leigh), 67, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer on October 14, 2023. Born August 17, 1956, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Leigh was the third of the four daughters of the late Preston G. Herndon and Jean Mars Herndon.

Leigh graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1974 and went on to study early childhood education at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. After receiving a BS in Education, Leigh moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. She began teaching in the Monroe City Public School System in the Special Education department with an emphasis on supporting hearing impaired children. Following the births of her first son and only daughter, Leigh and her growing family moved to Tipp City, Ohio, where a second son was born. She spent the next 30+ years dedicated to raising three children, teaching, tutoring, and caring for others.

Her family—children, their spouses, and her grandchildren—was her primary focus, and she worried over and took care of them until the end, sometimes to the exclusion of her own needs. Leigh was active in her local church and community. She valued loyalty, honesty, and authenticity. An avid knitter and reader, Leigh also loved the sun, surf, sand, and seafood at the Atlantic Ocean. She enjoyed dozens of annual, extended family vacations taken at Holden Beach, North Carolina.

Leigh was preceded in death by her parents. She leaves behind to cherish her memory, her three children, son Trevor (Vivian) Baron of Ridgewood NJ, daughter Chelsea (Scott) Pugh of Harrisburg, PA, and son Cullen (Jordan) Baron of Columbus, OH; her grandchildren, Alivia, Kayleigh, Cole, Emmie, and Raeya; and her three sisters, Gail (Tom) Fennimore of Charlotte, NC, Caryl (John) Hall of Troutman, NC, and Gwen Herndon of Charlotte, NC, along with a niece and many nephews. Leigh was eagerly anticipating the birth of her sixth grandchild, to Trevor and Vivian. Arlo was born shortly after her passing on October 26th.

Services will be held at Morton & Whetstone Funeral Home and Cremation Services on December 9th, 2023. Visitation will be from 1:00pm to 2:00pm with a short service to follow thereafter. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Autism Society. Leigh worked with special needs children for many years, and she was very passionate about their education and development.

https://autismsociety.org/