Tyler Robert Baker

Tyler Robert Baker was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding luminary and that his natural abilities served him well. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Tyler was a man who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, Tyler would set about immediately to create it.

Tyler was born on March 26, 1984 at Adventist Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. His parents were Kristin and Michael Baker. Tyler was raised in Portland, Oregon. Tyler was brought up to be reasonable in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. He was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced his self-confidence. Even at a young age, Tyler was credited with having a positive influence on those around him.

The positive atmosphere that Tyler generated spread to his family. Tyler was raised with two siblings. He had sisters, Stacie and Stefanie. Tyler served as a catalyst within the family. He often found himself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Tyler was able to demonstrate his uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

Tyler's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to his exhibiting leadership qualities early on in his childhood. He liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, he was willing to experiment with different approaches as he worked a plan towards a solution. As a young boy, he took part in soccer, baseball, football, wrestling, karate, and basketball. In his spare time he liked fishing, boating, snow sports, and water sports.

When it came to academics and school, Tyler's organizational skills reaped dividends. Tyler was able to create a system for getting his class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze his schoolwork and assignments, he could apply a practical, common sense approach completing his studies. He showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which he tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge his own reasoning ability in finding solutions. He graduated from David Douglas and Vocational Village in 2003. He enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers. He graduated from Vocational Village.

The work habits and approaches to studying that Tyler utilized in high school also served him well in college. Tyler always seemed on a quest for knowledge. He was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for his classes, employing a matter-of-fact approach. Tyler was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. He took classes at Mt. Hood Community College to get into the apprentice program at Local 16.

In a group of friends and acquaintances, Tyler was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone new. That quality made him very approachable by others throughout his life. This same quality brought Tyler the reward of many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to Tyler. He believed that he should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way he wanted to be treated. Tyler also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of his friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Matthew Croslin, Brandon Tauscher, Bobby Scull, Mike Washburn, Chris O'Neill, Justin Crawn, Brian Welch, Michael Cushway, Jeremey Cushway, and Andrew Chshnay.

As Tyler knew in other aspects of his life, he had a clear vision of what he sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On June 23, 2009 Tyler exchanged wedding vows with Jennifer Jean Meinig at Dreams Los Cabos Resort of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Jennifer was a significant part of his life, and it wasn’t necessary for Tyler to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Tyler's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.

Family was important to Tyler. He wanted to have children and would have been a wonderful father.

At work Tyler was viewed as a natural leader. He could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. He was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Tyler was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Tyler might have been described by some as an overachiever, he was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. His primary occupation was pre-apprentice sheet metal worker. He was employed for almost 2 years @ Apollo Sheet Metal. He also worked in auto body as a shop helper and a painter.

Not only did Tyler find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. His favorite pursuits were fishing, camping, hunting, noating, traveling, restoring cars, being with family and friends, renovating his home, spending time with his dogs, snowboarding, singing, karaoke, and writing.

No matter what the activity was, Tyler had the ability to motivate others. This talent influenced his participation in sports, too. He sought out the possibilities in a competitive situation, and he stayed cool and calm under pressure. He relished the stimulation of the action and energy associated with sports. In high school, Tyler played football and basketball. Recreational sports included wrestling and play fighting; he always wanted to be a boxer/ UFC fighter. He was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were Cowboys football, U of O football, Blazers basketball, Red Sox baseball, and Texas football.

Traveling, especially vacations, was another way for Tyler to apply his exceptional leadership and organizational skills. He liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. He had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. Favorite vacations included the trip to Cabo San Lucas, camping at Detroit Lake, staying at the beach, and staying in the mountains.

Tyler was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Tyler's favorites was Akia, a German Shepard/Akita mix; Kitty Kitty, a Rottweiler; and his cat, Hailey. They were best friends for Akia, 8 years; Kitty Kitty, 6 years; Hailey, 12 years.

Tyler passed away on June 10, 2010 at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Tyler was shot in the chest by a mere acquaintance, at the home of his best friend. He is survived by his wife, Jenni; parents, Kristin and Mike; sisters, Stefanie and Stacie; grandparents, Bob and Corliss; uncles, Eric, Jeff; aunt, Karen; cousins, Kelsey and Kaylie; sisters in law, Angie Bunday and Ali Meinig. Services will be held at 3:00 p. m. Saturday, June 26, 2010, in the Tyee Yacht Club, 2929 NE Marine Drive, Portland, OR. 97211.

Parking is limited, please carpool. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the Tyler Robert Baker Memorial Fund @ Onpoint Community Credit Union.

Tyler Robert Baker knew what he wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. He could be characterized as driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Tyler was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. He was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If he saw that something needed to be done, he was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.

Arrangements under the direction of Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, Portland, OR.