Robert G. “Bob” Baynes
July 4, 1939 – July 31, 2025
Robert G. “Bob” Baynes, 86, of Pinehurst, NC, passed away on July 31, 2025, in Pinehurst, NC, supported by the love of his family. Born in Wilson, NC on July 4, 1939, Bob was the youngest child of the late Lacy G. Baynes, Sr., and the late Eula P. Baynes. At an early age, his family settled in Greensboro, NC, where he lived and worked for most of his life. Bob graduated from Greensboro Senior High School (now Grimsley) in 1957 and the University of North Carolina in 1961, where he majored in English and was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He received his Juris Doctor degree with highest honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1964.
Bob was admitted to the bar and proudly joined the firm of Adams, Kleemeier, Hagan, Hannah & Fouts (now Maynard Nexsen) in 1964, where he practiced until his retirement in 2014. He was the epitome of the term “attorney and counselor at law,” spending countless hours serving his clients, the firm, and the legal profession at large. If there were ever an ethical or business law question within his firm or at many others, colleagues would reach out to ask for his advice and good counsel. Bob was a member of the Greensboro Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He served the North Carolina State Bar with distinction over five decades, in roles which included Councilor (1980-1986); Vice President (1986-1987); President-Elect (1987-1988), and President (1988-1989). He also served as a Vice-Chair of the North Carolina State Bar Client Security Fund (1990-1991) and as its Chair (1992-1994), and as member of the American Bar Association House of Delegates (1993-1996). He was appointed by Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. to serve on the North Carolina Commission on Business Laws and the Economy (1994-1998). The Commission was instrumental in the creation of the North Carolina Business Court.
Outside of service to his profession, Bob was a proud and longtime member of the Rotary Club of Greensboro, serving as President (1986-1987). The Rotary Club brought him great pleasure, and he enjoyed decades of friendship and service with his fellow Rotarians. Bob was a nearly lifelong member of West Market Street United Methodist Church, serving on numerous committees and holding leadership roles, including Chair of the Administrative Board (2007-2009). He was a lifeguard at Greensboro Country Club in high school and college, and it is estimated that he taught over two hundred children to swim during those years. Later, as a longtime Club member, he served on many committees and as Secretary in 1999. Many organizations were helped by Bob’s service, including but not limited to, the Greensboro Urban Ministry, Junior Achievement, where he often went unannounced to help young people with reading, writing, and financial literacy, and the Legacy Fund at West Market Street United Methodist Church, created to sustain the physical buildings of the church for future generations.
Bob was a proud alumnus and supporter of the UNC Tarheels, a fan of the New York Yankees from childhood, and an avid follower of horseback riding events. He enjoyed playing golf, gardening, and time at the coast when not working or volunteering. He loved his Labrador Retrievers, Snoopy and Sunny, and enjoyed the training and nurturing of his four-legged friends during his lifetime. He was a talented armchair sports analyst, often anticipating what the next play should be or reacting with dismay about missed opportunities. Bob was a patient listener, a source of calm in every storm, and the consummate professional always. He was understated, humble, and kind, and an advocate for fairness, the rule of law, and treating others well. Despite early challenges, Bob was proud of his heritage and family, and he was the first to offer his service and assistance when called to act. Most of all, and for anyone who knew him, his pride and greatest sources of happiness were his children and grandchildren, and time with family. It was an unwritten but well-known rule at the law firm, “if one of my children calls, put them through or find me immediately” – that was the directive without exception. Until the end, he was always present, attentive, and supportive of his children and their chosen interests and careers.
Bob is survived by his daughter, Abbie Baynes, and her children, Ben Nason and Sara Parker; his son, Dillon Baynes and partner, William Luziano; and his son, Jonathan Baynes, daughter-in-law, Barbara, and their children, Ben Palmer, Drew Palmer, and Lilly Palmer. He was predeceased by Elizabeth (Libby) Garvin Baynes, mother of his children. Bob is also survived by his brother, Lacy G. Baynes, Jr. and wife Lena, his nieces Ellison Hunter and husband, Jeff, their son, Adam Hunter, and daughter Lee Hunter Baissana (Joshua); Kathryn McLawhorn and husband, James, their son, Drew McLawhorn, and daughter, Parker McLawhorn; and, by the love of his life, Doreen Donathan Wicker, her son Charles Wicker, Jr., wife Jody, and daughter Hasely, and her daughter Elizabeth (Liz) Wicker.
