John Thomas Baker

John Thomas Baker was born to Walter E Baker and Stella Cloer Baker on April 30, 1927 in Wichita Falls, Texas. W. E. Baker died in 1929 in an oilfield accident. Stella married Thurmond “Pete” Powers in 1934 and the family moved to Arizona soon after. Pete Powers raised John “JT” as his own son in Camp Verde, AZ. John graduated a semester early from Camp Verde High School in the winter of 1945 to enlist in the US Navy. John served in the Asiatic Pacific Area and he was honorably discharged with a rank of Quartermaster Third Class. John returned to Arizona where he enrolled in Arizona State University at Tempe, graduating in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

John married Helen G Heath, also from Camp Verde, in August of 1950. John and Helen were married 62 years until Helen’s death in 2012.

John began his 40 year career with the J. G. Boswell Company in Phoenix, Arizona, where his son John C Baker was born in 1954. In 1957 John and his family moved to Corcoran, CA continuing his career with the J. G. Boswell Co. In 1961, John obtained his certificate as a registered Civil Engineer in the State of California. John and Helen lived in Corcoran for 30 years until his retirement from the Boswell Co. After John’s retirement, the couple bought 5 acres near Sanger, CA where they built a home and established a small pistachio orchard. John and Helen belonged to the Fresno Yacht Club, sailing and racing their small sailboat until they were well into their 70’s. John maintained the pistachio orchard until the couple moved to San Joaquin Gardens in the spring of 2012.

John and Helen were members of the Peoples Church; in his later years he often attended the San Joaquin Garden services. After Helen’s passing in the fall of 2012, John was sustained by his faith and a circle of good friends at the San Joaquin gardens.

John was a respected Civil Engineer and a tenacious competitor when racing his San Juan 21, making many friends along the way.

He is survived by his son, John C. Baker, his daughter-in-law Laura, and his granddaughter Katie.