JOHN FRANKLIN BAUGH died in San Antonio on the 5th of March 2007, at age 91, surrounded by his loving family. He was born near Waco on the 29th of February 1916, son of John and Nell Elizabeth Turner Baugh. As a child John learned and believed the teachings of Jesus Christ and these were reflected through his entire life. Following graduation from Waco High School, John enrolled in Baylor University while he worked at the local A & P Grocery to help the family income during the Depression. Due to the economic hard times he had to move to Houston to continue working at A & P. There he met his life-long sweetheart, Eula Mae Tharp, in night school at the University of Houston. They married in 1936 and became parents of Barbara Nell in 1942. As the war came to an end, John decided to try to open his own food business which became Zero Foods Company. This business flourished, having a branch in San Antonio and servicing most of South Texas. John became active in industry organizations and met other food distributors from across the country in the National Frozen Food Association where he served as a director and president. John proposed an idea to create a nation-wide food service company by having a simultaneous merger of nine privately owned companies. Wall Street said this had never been done before but these nine pioneers of the food industry agreed unanimously to accept the ownership structure recommended by John, affirming their respect for his fairness and integrity. Thus Sysco Corporation was founded on the same day that it became a public company in 1970. From that time to 2005, sales grew from $115 million to over $30 billion and Sysco grew through acquisition from nine to 78 wholly-owned operating companies with 170 locations and over 47,500 employees and is the largest food services company in North America. John served as Chairman, CEO and Senior Chairman of Sysco in addition to being the Founder. In addition to the offices held in the National Frozen Food Association, he was the recipient of the Heritage Award in 1976 and was the first person elected to the NFFA Hall of Fame. He received the Herbert Hoover Award from the National Wholesale Grocers Association in 1988 and was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1991. He was a director of the Bank of Houston and had other business and ranching interests. Even more important to John than his business interests were his family, friends and Christian endeavors. He and Eula Mae supported their church, Baylor University, Baptist General Convention of Texas, Houston Baptist University, Memorial Hospital Foundation, Baptist Child and Family Services, Central Baptist Seminary, Baptist Joint Committee, Baptist University of the Americas, Texas Baptists Committed, University of Mary Hardin Baylor, Baylor Alumni Association and many other Christian and educational causes. They, along with Paul and Katie Piper, provided the initial funding for the George W. Truett Theological Seminary. That campus and the Center for Entrepreneurship at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business bear his name. John served as a Trustee, Regent and Regent Emeritus of Baylor University and has received several awards from Baylor including the Abner V. McCall Religious Liberty Award, the W. R. White Meritorious Service Award, the Herbert H. Reynolds Award, the Founders Medal and the George W. Truett Churchman Award. He was also named Alumnus Honaris Causa by Baylor. John was a founding trustee of Houston Baptist University, a director of the Baptist Foundation of Texas for more than 25 years and was a founding member of Lakeside Country Club. John has authored two books entitled The Battle for Baptist Integrity and The Sysco Story...Thus Far. Writer Tom Kennedy has written a book about John and Eula Mae Baugh entitled From Waco to Wall Street. John Baugh had a great love for land and open spaces. Some of his and Eula Mae's happiest times were spent at their ranch near San Marcos entertaining friends and family. The sign at the front gate reads, "To leave the land better than we found it creates opportunities for those who follow and honors our heritage." "Papo", as he is lovingly called by his family, always wanted to be with his family. His great sense of humor and contagious laugh drew others to him easily. The children loved to talk with him and listen to his words of wisdom that made them feel so special. His kindness and humility were extended through his generosity of both time and resources. His friends and family members always knew that he had time to devote to them. John was passionate about the freedoms expressed through traditional Baptist values religious freedom for our country, the right of every believer to communicate with his God, the autonomy of the local church, and the responsibilities that accompany these freedoms. John Baugh is survived by his beloved wife of 71 years, Eula Mae; his daughter, Barbara "Babs" Baugh and her husband, John Jarrett; granddaughters, Jackie Moore and her husband Kim Moore, and Julie Ortiz and her husband, Carlos Ortiz; great grandchildren, John Sterling Moore, Katherine Elizabeth Moore, Jacob Taylor Moore, John-Carlos Breck Ortiz, and Alexa Mae Ortiz. He is also survived by scores of friends whom he loved. He will be tremendously missed and always remembered. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from half-past two o'clock until half-past five o'clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 7th of March 2007, in the Library of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. A funeral service will be conducted at one o'clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 8th of March 2007, at Tallowood Baptist Church, 555 Tallowood Road in Houston, with Dr. Duane Brooks, Dr. Daniel Vestal, Dr. Herbert Reynolds, and Dr. Phil Lineberger officiating. The interment service will follow, via an escorted cortege, at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Road in Houston. For those desiring, memorial contributions in John's name may be directed to the Eula Mae and John Baugh Charitable Foundation, 15329 Clevedon Lane, Houston, TX, 77040-1314; Baptist Child and Family Services, 909 N. E. Loop 410, Suite 800, San Antonio, TX, 78209; or to the Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, P.O. Box 97126, Waco, TX, 76798-7126.