Gerald "Jerry" Paul Grant Baker

Gerald "Jerry" Paul Grant Baker

June 25, 1947 - March 24, 2025

Gerald "Jerry" Baker passed away peacefully on March 24, 2025, at 6:08 p.m. at Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 77 years old. Jerry was a Vietnam veteran, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer, and an insurance adjuster who traveled the country helping others, including relief efforts during Hurricane Katrina. He is remembered for his dedication to service, his quiet resilience, his sense of humor, and his deep personal journey of healing.

Born in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, on June 25, 1947, to Eldene "Ed" Baker and Eileen "Mills" Baker, Jerry was the second of three children. The family immigrated to Los Angeles in 1953, where he grew up in the San Fernando Valley and became a U.S. citizen in 1959.

A cherished family photo from February 19, 1966, shows 18-year-old Jerry proudly wearing his military uniform at his sister Beverley's wedding, standing tall and protective beside her. It captured not just a moment in time, but the strong bond between a brother and sister-and a young man already living a life of duty and service.

At age 18, Jerry enlisted in the United States Army and served with distinction as an SP4 in Vietnam, assigned to a Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit. These elite missions were among the most dangerous of the war. The physical and emotional toll of that experience left deep scars, and like many veterans, Jerry lived with PTSD throughout his life. Yet, through it all, he kept a sense of humor, always telling jokes and sharing vivid, heartfelt stories.

A Veteran's Journey: Vietnam and Beyond

Jerry's military service from 1965 to 1969 placed him in the heart of one of the most dangerous and psychologically taxing periods of the Vietnam War. As a member of a Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) unit, he operated deep behind enemy lines-navigating dense jungles, evading detection, and surviving for days or weeks at a time with only a small team. These elite missions required immense courage, silence, and skill, often facing ambushes or booby traps, and always under threat. The emotional toll was immense. He lived with these experiences-unseen but deeply felt-for the rest of his life.

Jerry's service came during a time of massive escalation in the war: from the bombing campaigns of Operation Rolling Thunder to the chaos of the 1968 Tet Offensive. What he endured was not only physically dangerous but emotionally scarring, as the line between survival and trauma blurred with each passing mission.

When he returned home, he faced a nation divided. Unlike veterans of previous wars, many Vietnam veterans were met not with gratitude, but with silence, misunderstanding, or even scorn. Public opinion had turned against the war, and too often, that anger was misdirected at the young men who had risked everything to serve. Many, like Jerry, were left to process the horrors of war in solitude-without the benefit of widespread support or adequate mental health care.

Though he rarely spoke of it in detail, the psychological and spiritual burdens Jerry carried were profound. He lived with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) long before it was widely recognized or treated. And yet, through it all, he did his best-with humor, resilience, and a quiet strength that shaped every chapter of his life.

Later in life, Jerry made meaningful efforts to reconnect with his family, seeking healing after years of emotional distance. Though expressing love was not always easy for him, those close to Jerry knew that his love ran deep-even when it went unspoken. He did the best he could, with all that he had been through, and his journey toward reconciliation was a quiet testament to his courage, humanity, and growth.

After returning home, Gerald proudly served the people of Los Angeles as a Police Officer II with the Los Angeles Police Department, assigned to the Van Nuys Division, from February 1, 1970, to September 6, 1984. His fourteen years of dedicated service placed him at the heart of a pivotal era in the city's history-one marked by cultural change, rising crime, and the evolving face of American law enforcement.

Fresh from military service, Jerry brought with him a deep sense of duty, resilience, and a warrior's calm. As a patrol officer in the bustling San Fernando Valley, he responded to a wide range of calls-emergencies, traffic accidents, burglaries, and moments of crisis where his steady presence brought peace and order. He was, in every sense, a guardian of his community.

The early 1970s saw Los Angeles recovering from the trauma of the 1965 Watts Riots and adjusting to massive demographic and social shifts. In 1971, when the Sylmar earthquake struck, Officer Baker was among the responders helping Angelenos through devastation and recovery. In the years that followed, the LAPD faced an increasingly complex cityscape-rising gang activity, the spread of drug use, and growing distrust between law enforcement and underserved communities.

Through it all, Jerry remained committed to fairness, professionalism, and courage. He worked the beat during the rise of street gangs like the Crips and Bloods, and during the first waves of the heroin and crack cocaine epidemics that reshaped the Valley and beyond. Colleagues remember him as even-keeled and sharp-witted-a man you wanted backing you up on a call, and someone who never lost his humanity in the face of chaos.

Serving under multiple police chiefs, including the controversial tenure of Chief Daryl Gates beginning in 1978, Jerry witnessed the transformation of the LAPD into a more tactical and militarized force. But for Jerry, the essence of policing never changed: to serve and protect, and to do so with dignity. He believed in connecting with people, not policing from fear.

On September 6, 1984, after fourteen years of honorable service, Jerry concluded his law enforcement career. He later worked in the insurance field, offering compassion and guidance to people facing personal loss. He traveled extensively across the country to assist families after fires, floods, and natural disasters-including Hurricane Katrina. He often reflected on his time in the LAPD with a deep sense of pride. His stories-equal parts harrowing, humorous, and heartfelt-became family lore, and his dedication to service continued in quieter ways in the years that followed.

Though family relationships were often marked by distance and complexity, Jerry carried a deep, unspoken love for his family throughout his life. As a Vietnam veteran and former police officer, much of what he endured left emotional wounds that were not always easy to speak of-yet he never stopped caring. In his later years, Jerry made meaningful efforts to reconnect, reaching out with sincerity and doing the best he could with the tools he had.

While he may not have always found the words to express it, those closest to him knew he loved deeply and quietly, and that his heart never strayed far from the family he held dear. His journey was one of resilience and reflection, and we honor the courage it took to seek peace, healing, and reconnection along the way.

In the years that followed, Jerry lived in Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Bayfield, Colorado, and finally Las Vegas. He had a deep love for the ocean, spending time living aboard a boat in Port Hueneme, finding peace in the rhythm of the sea. Later, he built a cabin by hand in the Colorado mountains, embracing the quiet beauty of nature. Whether walking a beat, floating in a harbor, or watching snowfall through a cabin window, Jerry lived with purpose.

In his retirement years, Jerry embraced the simple joys of life. He especially adored his loyal Manx cat, who was always by his side and brought him comfort and companionship. He took great pride in his vehicles-his truck and his Maserati-often enjoying long drives and polishing them with care.

Jerry spent his final active years living at Turnberry Towers on Karen Avenue in Las Vegas, where he found a new sense of peace and belonging. Surrounded by panoramic views of the city he had come to love, he enjoyed the quiet luxury of high-rise living and stayed actively involved in the community, connecting with neighbors and participating in building activities. Whether chatting with staff, checking in on friends, or simply enjoying a warm breeze from his balcony, Jerry lived those days with quiet pride and gratitude.

In his final years, Jerry found love and companionship again, marrying his devoted wife, "Neng" Supaporn Chocharoenying, with whom he shared six meaningful years. She was lovingly by his side when he passed and shared, "He is at rest now, and at peace."

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents, Ed and Eileen Baker, his older brother Chester "Chet" Baker, and his younger sister Beverley "B" Baker. Remarkably, he passed exactly one year and one day after Beverley, and at the same hospice where his mother spent her final days. Though family relationships were not always easy, his family believes he was welcomed home by those who went before him-with love.

He is survived by his loving wife Neng, his first wife, his son Eddie Baker, daughter Michelle Baker, his second wife Cathy, his grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family in both the United States and Canada.

A viewing was held on March 27th at Care Cremation and Burial. A military service and interment will take place on Tuesday, April 16, 2025, at 8:15 a.m. at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, followed by a celebration of life lunch at Weera Thai on Rainbow from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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A Legacy of Strength and Service

Jerry's life reminds us that those who serve often carry burdens unseen-but not unfelt. From war zones to city streets, from flood zones to family homes, he showed up. He brought peace where he could, and protection when it was needed. His legacy is one of service, struggle, healing, and love-a life hard-earned and well-lived. A Memorial Service will be held on April 16, 2025, from 08:15 AM to 09:15 AM at Veterans Memorial Cemetary 1900 Veterans Memorial Drive