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It is with great regret and sorrow that I must notify you of the
death of our Classmate, John Baker, on 14 April 2019 at his residence in
Burnside, KY, as a result of pancreatic cancer.
John is survived by his wife, Patricia; one son, John III and his
wife, Stephanie; three daughters, Catherine Collins, Joan Marie Smith, and Mary
Diane Lunbeck and her husband, Martin; nine grandchildren, Brian Collins,
Shannon Collins, Jonathan Collins, Angela Collins, Patricia Jean Smith, Jonathan
Morton, Mitchell Lunbeck, Michelle Lunbeck, and Makayla Baker; and two
great-grandchildren, Mae Lunbeck and Jhonen Collins. He was preceded in death
by two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Thursday, 18 April 2019 in the
Chapel of the Southern Oaks Funeral Home, Somerset, KY. Burial followed in
Mount Union Cemetery, Pulaski County, KY.
Condolences may be sent to Patricia at 465 Cave Springs Spur,
Burnside, KY 42519-9555.
Well done, John. Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\E-2 John Baker.pdf
Obituaries:
Assembly/TapsMemorial Article:
John T. Baker Jr. 1961
Cullum No. 23761-1961 | April
14, 2019 | Died in Burnside,
KY
Interred in Mt. Union Cemetery, Keno,
KY
 John
Tyler Baker Jr. came to West Point from the Air Force. He
was born in Seattle, WA on November 1, 1935. His parents were John Tyler
Baker and Elizabeth Adele Bevin. In 1953, John graduated from Dorsey High
School, located in Los Angeles, CA, and attended a semester at UCLA. He
subsequently enlisted in the Air Force and achieved the rank of airman
second class before receiving an appointment to the Military Academy. He
reported to West Point to attend the Prep School in 1956 and joined the
Class of 1961 in June 1957.
One of the oldest men of in his class,
John was quiet in nature. He rarely gave anyone any trouble except, perhaps,
on the squash or tennis courts. He was a true “goat”; more often than not he
could be found, book in lap, fast asleep. As a cadet in Company E-2, John
participated in many activities, including the Public Information Detail,
Debate Council and Forum, Spanish Club, Astronomy Club and Ski Club. His
friendly concern and cooperative spirit will not be forgotten.
When John graduated, he was commissioned
in the Air Force. John served on active duty in the Air Force for 20 years,
retiring in 1981. He served at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey and with the
26th Transportation Squadron in Germany. After leaving active duty, John had
a successful career as a volunteer with the Recovery Ministries and the
Mount Union Baptist Church.
His wife, Patricia, said: “Like many
military families, John and I deliberately chose to live under the motto
that ‘wherever we are together, that is home.’ Consequently, we shared many
adventures exploring the uniqueness of wherever we were living and wherever
else we could visit.
“John was our Pied Piper. We (our four
children and I) followed his lead: exploring the ruins of crusader castles,
peeking into abandoned tombs, climbing down into caves and salt mines then
up—way up—to the highest point (usually a church or cathedral bell tower) in
villages, towns, and cities. When such opportunities appeared, rather than
asking ‘Why do it?’ John was inclined to ask, ‘Why not?’ In the end, our
family was blessed to observe and explore (usually safely) other countries,
cultures, trades, and foods.
“Some of you may remember that John
enjoyed competing on the squash and tennis courts. That spirit of
competition continued and thrived in our family via multiple board games.
Cut-throat is too strong a word; however, our usually unspoken rules were to
strategize—If you lose, be gracious; if you win, don’t gloat!
“During our family dinner this past
Christmas (2024), when thinking of what to share in this memorial article,
German Volksmarches, exploring, and board games were fondly remembered. For
the benefit of spouses and grandkids, I described two or three events that
John and I had orchestrated about 50 years ago. I made some menus with
several food, drink, and dessert choices. John portrayed the leading
character (in many senses of that word!): a bit of mascara on his upper lip
created an instant mustache, a shoulder-length wig was perfect (this was the
early ’70s), a small towel draped over his left arm and voila!—our maître
d’. Of course, he also had an indescribable accent. The very proper maître
d’ greeted the young patrons (our kids) at the door, took them to their
table, seated them, handed them menus, took their orders, served them, etc.
Several pictures exist showing the maître d’ and his happy customers. There
was much fun and laughter decades ago and again at our 2024 Christmas dinner
as we reminisced about our own Pied Piper having fun with the kids while
teaching them at the same time.
“As we reminisced, the ‘kids’ burst out
in surprised laughter when they learned what had prompted that role playing.
Several weeks before John took on the maître d’ role, we had observed an
unruly bunch of unsupervised young children eating in the officers’ club
dining room…another example of their dad having fun and teaching them at the
same time—our Pied Piper.”
John passed away on April 14,
2019 at his residence in Burnside, KY from pancreatic cancer. Funeral
services were held on April 18, 2019 in the chapel of the Southern Oaks
Funeral Home, Somerset, KY, and burial followed in the Mount Union Cemetery
of Pulaski County, Kentucky. At John’s memorial service, many individuals
approached various family members to express both their admiration for John
and their gratitude. Two threads were woven together: They were grateful
that John had met and accepted them where they were in life and that John
then continued alongside them—prodding, studying, leading, and encouraging.
John is survived by his wife, Patricia;
one son, John III and his wife, Stephanie; three daughters: Catherine
Collins, Joan Marie Smith, and Mary Diane Lunbeck and her husband, Martin;
nine grandchildren: Brian Collins, Shannon Collins, Jonathan Collins, Angela
Collins, Patricia Jean Smith, Jonathan Morton, Mitchell Lunbeck, Michelle
Lunbeck, and Makayla Baker; and two great-grandchildren: Mae Lunbeck and
Jhonen Collins. John was preceded in death by two great-grandchildren. He is
fondly remembered by all who knew him. Well Done, John; Be Thou at Peace.
— His Wife, Patricia, and Classmate
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