James "Jim" Austin Baker Jr.

Born on October 30, 1950 to the late James Austin Baker, Sr., and Anna Bessie (Leatherwood) Baker, Jimmy, as he was known as a child, grew up in a log cabin on the family farm in Cordova, Tennessee. His best friend and older sister, Rebecca "Becky" Janice Baker, passed away when he was only 10 years old. Just months later, his beloved grandfather, with whom he shared a bedroom, also passed away. He then felt his own mortality, as he spent a year bed-bound due to kidney issues. Never one to sit idle, he became an excellent marksman during this time by shooting birds and squirrels out his bedroom window.

Leaving the farm, Jim did not slow down. He attended U.T. Martin as a gymnast; after a giant swing injury and recovery he transferred to Memphis State University to join the cheer team. He loved to boast about doing a 50-yard run of back-handsprings and cheering for Memphis State at both the Pasadena Bowl which later became the Rose Bowl. and the Men’s Basketball National Championship. During college he sold cars, including his yellow ‘67 Corvette. He soon met Elvis Presley and traveled with him and his entourage. Elvis gifted him a custom wood slalom ski, which he thoroughly enjoyed using and teaching his children. During college, he met his future wife, Judy, in a chemistry class where he held the keys to the lab. He even joined a study group to be around her. On the last day of class, he asked her to lunch. The rest was history.

Although Jim’s degree was in Chemistry, he ventured into selling investments for a large firm. He soon realized he didn’t like having others tell him what to sell, preferring to work on his own terms. He opened Sunbelt Financial Securities and raised money for many projects, including Owen Brennan’s Restaurant which opened in 1990. As an entrepreneur he helped found many successful businesses spanning insurance, manufacturing, sporting goods, transportation, real estate, and hospitality.

Jim’s career was dominated by civic endeavors, serving as the President of the Boards of Sons and Daughters of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Davis Park, Cordova Civic Club, Community Behavioral Health, Southeast Mental Health Center, and Southeast Foundation. Jim earned the moniker “Silver Tongue" as he never wavered in a fight to do the right thing for his community. Notably with the Southeast Foundation, he led donations to many causes from mental health, and education, to safety and mentorship including seed capital for University of Memphis crime research that became the Real Time Crime Center and the backbone for Memphis Shelby Crime Commission. He worked to raise money with his son Austin to help establish the Memphis Institute for Leadership Education (MILE) Program at the University of Memphis. Other board positions include the College of Arts & Sciences for the University of Memphis, Memphis in May, and others.

Jim also took his community giving personally and was proximate to the people he wanted to serve. As a reserve officer in the Shelby County Sheriff’s department he often met people who were struggling that he helped find care for with drug, alcohol, and mental health treatments.

Above all, Jim loved to entertain and he was happiest surrounded by music and a crowd. From bonfires on the farm, haunted hay rides for family and friends, to raising money at Owen Brennan’s. Beyond many political campaigns, A Wedding & A Wish, he was most proud of which helped raise $50,000. He organized it around his best friend’s daughter’s wedding and set a goal of granting ten children their dream moments through Make-A-Wish.

He received many awards, two of which he was most proud of included Distinguished Alumni at University of Memphis and Grand Champion, Memphis in May World Championship in 1999 that he won after Twenty-years into competing in barbeque competitions. Then he retired to judging food and hosting for the rest of his life at BBQ and Italian Festivals to name a few.

His adventures in life came with many near-death moments that started in childhood and continued throughout his life with multiple motorcycle accidents, one involving a cow, multiple goring incidents, one with a flying boat anchor and another on the sharp end of a bull horn. If that wasn't enough, there was mother nature that he survived including near boat wrecks in a squall, near tornado encounters, multiple attacks from hornets and bees hospitalizing him. He even picked bird shot out of himself and his friends from a low bird incident. Then there were the airplane incidents including a near miss at an Air Show Disaster in Reno Nevada, and surviving flying through military air space when his instrumentation failed in his plane.

For a quiet man, he lived a large life. Fixing live electrical wires and starting the occasional yard fire and eventually putting it out, he always had a fix. And, he gave and gave to his community, friends, and his family, especially his wife who he loved adorning in a new piece of jewelry. If you ever visited his restaurant, he greeted you at the door, took your family’s photo, asked you to taste some of his food, or met with you at his favorite table, #204.

Jim is survived by his spouse, Judy Spiotta Baker; his children, James Austin Baker, III, Rebecca “Becky” Baker Crucifixio, Lawson Reid Bae and his spouse, Kennedy McDaniel Bae; his grandchildren, James Michael Baker, Dante Luca Crucifixio, Asher Brooks Baker, Link Comet Bae, and Jet Banting Bae; and many beloved friends including many long time current and past “family” at Owen Brennan’s Restaurant. He was preceded in death by his parents, James Austin Baker, Sr. and Anna Bessie (Leatherwood) Baker, and his beloved sister, Rebecca "Becky" Janice Baker; and grandparents, Austin Flint Baker and Lora (Casey) Baker and Hubert Blandford Leatherwood and Grace Anna (Roper) Leatherwood.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 29th, at 1:00 PM at Hope Church, 8500 Walnut Grove Rd, Cordova, TN 38018, followed by a service at 2:00 PM. Graveside services will be held at 4:00 PM at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38120. Arrangements by Memphis Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations to MILE Memphis at University of Memphis at memphis.edu/supportfcbe (Select “making a tax-deductible gift” > “All Fogelman Funds” > Search “MILE” > Select “FCBE Management Mile Fund - 36601”).