Ralph Laird Obituary

Ralph Milton Laird

December 7, 1931 - May 30, 2025

Paso Robles, California - Ralph Milton "Milt" Laird went peacefully to be with the Lord on Friday, May 30. He was surrounded by loved ones at his home in Paso Robles, California.

Milt was born December 7, 1931, in St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, beginning as a Cub Scout and continuing through Eagle Scout. In 1947, Milt traveled to Paris, France, to attend the World Scout Jamboree, sparking a lifelong love of travel and adventure.

From Classen High, he attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1953. He and Carlene Updike were married on December 22, 1951, and would go on to enjoy nearly 72 beautiful years of marriage together.

In April of 1954, he reported to Fort Lee, VA, for two years of active duty as a Second Lieutenant and CPA in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was transferred to Second Army headquarters in Fort Meade, MD, and then to Giessen, Germany. Carlene delivered their first son, David, in Frankfurt.

The family returned to Oklahoma City, where Milt became a partner at Wolf & Company CPAs. He went on to serve as President of the Oklahoma Society of CPAs, Councilmember at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and consultant and auditor for firms including United Airlines MileagePlus and BBDO Advertising Agency.

In 1969, Milt went to Los Angeles to open an office for the firm. The family had grown to five with the addition of son John and daughter Diane.

The family moved to Paso Robles in 1999, where they purchased 200 acres of raw land and planted vineyards. They maintained them for 30 years, selling quality grapes to major wineries. In 2018, they sold the vineyard and moved into the Traditions community and later The Oaks, where Milt continued to make new friends into his final days.

In 2024, the Honor Flight Network honored Milt with a flight to Washington, DC, to experience the capital's war memorials and monuments in person. Throughout Milt's life, his travels included all seven continents, including Antarctica. His children were included on many of the trips and will cherish the memories they made together forever.

A host at heart, Milt lived a life marked by hospitality and generosity, filled with evenings spent around the table with people he loved. His door was always open to friends and family new and old, and he greeted each one with a joke and a hearty chuckle.

Milt was predeceased by his wife Carlene Laird, and is survived by children David (Gail) Laird, John Laird, and Diane (Bill) Wingfield, grandchildren Kelsey Laird, Kathryn Wingfield, and Alec Wingfield, and his sister-in-law Carol Woods.