Carol Rake Obituary
Carol Lee Rake, born in Bellflower, CA on October 7, 1941, passed away December 3, 2025 in Seattle, WA after a brief yet aggressive battle with pancreatic cancer.
Carol graduated from Antelope Valley High School in 1959 where she famously attended prom with Frank Zappa and performed as their beloved mascot Annie Antelope. After starting a family, she went on to graduate Cum Laude from Arizona State University in 1980 with a zoology major and chemistry minor.
Carol's life as a marine biologist included working with Jacques Cousteau at the Cousteau Institute in Los Angeles. She performed oceanographic and biological research in Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Catalina Island, and Roatan. She also performed biochemistry research at the Fels Research Institute at Temple University in Philadelphia.
With a career that spanned over 40 years, Carol was a force in the field of metrology. She was co-founder and CEO of Northwest Calibration Systems (NCS), co-founder of both Wescan Calibration Services in Canada and Certifik SA de CV in Mexico, and Operations Manager of Global Calibration Services.
Carol was preceded in death by her husband of over 20 years, Bernie Baird; her children, Brian Cable and Charlcye Baker; her brother Topper, and her parents Mary Alice and Charlie.
She is survived by her grandchildren Renee and Jeremy; her sisters Dianne and Shirley; her niece and nephews Arian (Punky), Anthony, Aaron, and Alex; and her grand nieces Kylie, Kaitlyn, Jetta, Ava, and Bailey.
Carol was a voracious reader, known for her effusive language. She was also known for her love of politics, strong personality, and devotion to the memory of her deceased loved ones. She was an incredible woman, working full time running Global until just after her 84th birthday.
Her Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, January 24, 2026 at Marco Polo Bar & Grill in Seattle, WA at 11 AM. If you have photos you would like to share at the celebration, please e-mail them to [email protected]
Please share memories & sign the guestbook, located below.
Care Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
3243 California Avenue Southwest, Seattle, WA 98116
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