Garmon Layne Baker

GARMON LAYNE BAKER (TED) died Feb. 15 after a valiant fight against Parkinson’s Disease. G.L was born in Idlewild, NC in Ashe County. He was the middle child of eight siblings of Effie Blackburn Baker and Harrison Odell Baker. Upon first seeing his new brother with his blonde curly hair, Burl exclaimed “he looks just like a Teddy Bear”, and thus he was called Ted ever since. After high school, Ted followed his family to Durham, NC where his father worked as a carpenter/builder on projects on Duke University’s East Campus and other projects throughout Durham. During WWII Ted served in the US Army, went through basic training at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and was sent to Germany to assist with the huge relocation and displacement of European persons. Ted returned to Durham after the war and began a historic 40 year employment at Colonial Stores, Inc. (which later became Grand Union). In Durham, Ted met the love of his life, Mary Lee Anderson, while she was enrolled in Watts School of Nursing. Against Watts’ stringent rule that nursing students were not allowed be married, Ted and Mary eloped during her second year of training. The two kept their huge secret until after Mary’s graduation in August 1949. Because of the tragic complete burning of the Colonial Stores’ Warehouse in Durham, the couple started their married life in Raleigh, NC. Ted worked for 40 years at Colonials’ newly built Warehouse in Raleigh, and Mary started her distinguished nursing career with pediatrician Dr. Fred Eastwood, and later worked at Rex Hospital, Wake Memorial Hospital, and Medical Review of NC. Ted and Mary witnessed the gradual and later “booming” growth of North Raleigh and “North Hills. They were Charter members of Trinity Baptist Church on Six Forks Road.

Throughout his life, Ted was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, son-in-law, and work colleague. In his younger days he was an avid bowler winning numerous regional and divisional bowling trophies. Once retired, Ted spent innumerable hours visiting and caring for his mother-in-law in a nursing home. Ted’s devotion and unending caregiving for wife Mary when she was battling cancer was exceptional.

Living in Durham when the Rose Bowl was transferred to Duke University from Pasadena, California, and when Duke’s football team originally was nicknamed the “Iron Dukes”, Ted was a lifelong and diehard Duke fan. Watching Carl Yaskipski play minor league baseball in Raleigh, Ted also cultivated his lifelong love of the Boston Red Sox.

Ted is predeceased by his wife Mary Lee, his siblings, Denver Baker, Burl Baker, both from Orlando, Florida, and Mattie Lou Walser from Fort Mill, SC.

He is survived by daughter Mary Layne Baker, of Durham; by brothers Sammie Baker and wife Jannette in Orlando, Florida; Jimmy Baker and wife Ellen in Titusville, Florida; sister Emma Jean Braswell of Winter Park, Florida, and sister Wilma Miller of Orlando, Florida; and cousin Frankie Lane and wife Martha Jane of Millers Creek, NC.

Family visitation will be held Friday night between 6 to 8 pm,at Apex Funeral Home. A service in celebration of Ted’s life will be held 11am Saturday at The Chapel of Salem Baptist Church, 1821 N. Salem St, Apex, NC 27523, with military graveside service at Raleigh Memorial Park on HWY 70. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ted’s honor to: Salem Baptist Church, General Fund, 1821 N. Salem St, Apex, NC 27523.