Gary Baker

Gary Baker 71 passed away on May 28, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of service, passion, and unrelenting curiosity.
Born in post-war Germany in Landau, Gary was adopted at birth by then-Major Fred and Dorothy Baker while they were stationed in Heidelberg. His early years as a military dependent gave him a life rich with adventure, spanning California's San Fernando Valley, Japan, Korea, the high deserts of Victorville, California, and ultimately Tempe, Arizona.
Carrying forward his family's tradition, Gary pursued higher education at the University of Houston on an ROTC scholarship, later entering the U.S. Army in 1976. While stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia, he earned his master's degree in business and then spent two years in Taegu, Korea. His next assignment was his last at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. This led to an unexpected yet pivotal opportunity-teaching advertising as an adjunct instructor at Columbia College. That single experience ignited a lifelong passion for education and set the stage for a distinguished 40-year career in higher education.
Gary devoted his professional life to serving students as both an educator and administrator, leaving a profound impact at institutions such as Columbia College (CO), Marshalltown Community 28 May 2025 College (IA), State Fair Community College (MO), and the State College of Florida (FL). He was a trailblazer in the field of distance education, championing online learning programs across multiple states-transforming them from an emerging concept into a vital cornerstone of modern education.
Outside his formal work, Gary maintained a cherished "side hustle" at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, teaching business and management courses in Marshalltown for two decades, followed by another twenty years of online classes in finance and business strategy.
Beyond academia, Gary lived life robustly. A true enthusiast of antique wooden boats, he dedicated his spare time to restoring, maintaining, and showcasing his beloved crafts at Antique and Classic Boat Society (ACBS) events across the U.S., including Clear Lake, Iowa, and Lake of the Ozarks, where he owned homes on the water. Together with his best friend and wife of 29 years, Kathy, they acquired a vast collection of over 300 pelicans-stemming from their first wooden boat, named the Pelican. Gary immersed himself in countless boat projects, from Chris Crafts to Centurys, with a particularly treasured 1933 City Island Boat Works cruiser salvaged on a Thanksgiving Road trip to New Hampshire.
Gary also had a soft spot for oddball cars, home renovations, and creative pursuits. He and Kathy savored their time living by the water, where they often sought out happy hour appetizers and celebrated life's simplest joys. Their two long-lived family cats (first Tuxedo, followed by Oreo), were steadfast companions, occasionally returning the affection Gary so generously gave.
Having lived in many parts of the country, Florida afforded unique opportunities for Gary. Home to several cruise ports, Florida opened the door for Gary to explore the Caribbean and Cuba. His heart belonged to the water, and he relished over 10 cruises that connected him to foreign ports and ancient civilizations, including the Maya and the Incas.
Gary embraced every moment with gratitude and humor, often remarking, "I have lived a good life and am on bonus time until it ends." After 11 vibrant years in Florida, he left this world with no regrets, forever looking forward to the next adventure.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Save Our Seabirds, saveourseabirds.org, located in Sarasota, FL; Best Friends Animal Society (Save Them All), best friends. org; or PBS Foundation, PBS.org
Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 43rd Street Chapel, 604 43rd Street West, Bradenton, FL 34209, is in charge of arrangements.