James Kenneth Baker

In loving memory of James Kenneth (Ken) Baker, 95, who passed away on December 14, 2025.

Ken was born on May 6, 1930, in Lindrith, New Mexico. His birth name was Kenneth Stanley Jacks, born to Anna Lee Jacks. He was adopted in 1937 as James Kenneth Baker. Ken wrote the following about his mother's family, "George Ethan Chaplin (1886-1974) was the Patriarch of the Augustus (Gus) Jacks family of Big Spring, Texas. Chaplin was the father of Sarah Maria (Sadie) Chaplin who married Gus Jacks and who was the mother of Anna Lee Jacks born in 1915. Anna in turn was the mother of Kenneth Stanley Jacks (Ken Baker) born in 1930 and Betty Lou Thompson (Sandra Baker) born in 1933, then adopted in 1937 by James Alvin Curtis Baker and Ruth Nell Moore Baker. Baker children today are descendants from George Ethan Chaplin and his granddaughter Anna Lee Jacks."

After being adopted by James Alvin Curtis Baker and Ruth Nell Moore Baker in 1937, Ken and his sister Sandra lived in Corpus Christi, Texas.

He graduated from Corpus Christi High School in 1948 and attended Baylor University 1948-50. After four years of military service in the U.S. Navy from 1951-55 he used the G.I. Bill to attend The University of Texas at Austin, and The University of Texas Institute of Marine Science, Port Aransas where he obtained a full major in vertebrate zoology with minors in vertebrate paleontology and chemistry. Ken wrote, "… the start of my career began when a student at The University of Texas and I wrote my first papers, interestingly enough, on cave animals and visited Carlsbad Caverns. A friend who worked there as a Ranger invited me for a weekend visit in the summer of 1958 to see parts of the Caverns not opened to the public. During the visit I met, fortuitously, the Chief Park Naturalist. When he learned of my interests in caves and cave animals I was invited to apply for a job as a Park Naturalist. I did, and was hired to start after completion of my summer studies though at the time I still needed a course in French Literature to graduate. I started but never finished the course by correspondence because of more and more involvement in my work. Moreover, I received a grant to study cave swallows in Mexico and at no time south of the border, or elsewhere since, did I ever have a need to know about French poetry, plays and novels, or anything about French writers." Ken's interest and love of nature began as a child as he enjoyed butterflies and birds in his yard and at the family farm, along with the beauty of the Texas Gulf coast. He would keep butterfly larvae (caterpillars) in his room to observe, waiting for them to form a chrysalis and emerge as butterflies after they went through metamorphosis.

Ken's tours of duty as a Park Naturalist, Chief Park Naturalist and then Research Biologist with the former Office of Natural Science Studies, National Park Service included, the Padre Island National Seashore, Carlsbad Caverns, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Channel Islands, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Parks. He had a wide range of duties at each assignment. Ken especially liked to share stories about the desert bighorn sheep and fan palm oasis in Joshua Tree National Monument; the feral burros and bighorn sheep at Death Valley National Monument and also, the problem with feral rabbits, goats, domestic sheep and non-native rats of Channel Island National Monument. He wrote Management Plans for perpetuation of the endangered species and eradication of the non-native invasives. Other studies were of the flora and fauna in each Park used by the indigenous people there. The Karankawa of Padre Island; the Mescalero Apache of Carlsbad Caverns; the Serrano, Chemehuevi, and Coahuila of Joshua Tree; the Shoshone of Death Valley; and the Chumash of the Channel Islands. When in Hawaii while on duty in the Hawaii Volcanoes Research Center, he wrote six papers of which three were on one of the world's rarest endemic trees in the genus Hibiscadelphus and to describe a new hybrid species of it. Two other papers were on the management of feral goats and pigs within the Park; and the sixth paper on the occurrence and dispersal of the Rainbow Skink, Lampropholis delicata, being a non-native species found in the Park in 1972.

He published widely in science journals including his first paper in the September 1957 issue of The Texas Journal of Science on the description of a new species of a blind cave salamander. Other papers over many years on birds and mammals appeared in such publications as The Science. His article, Fossilization of Bat Skeletons in the Carlsbad Caverns, was published in the Bulletin of the Speleological Society, Volume 25 (1) - January 1963. https://npshistory.com/publications/cave/bnss-v25p1-1963.pdf

Ken published two articles in art journals including in The British Art Journal, "The lamia in the art of JW Waterhouse" (2004). His article, "Miss Sybil Muriel Foster (1884-1974)" (2021) was included in the Chingford Historical Society Newsletter 23, Autumn 2021, pg. 3-5. https://sites.create-cdn.net/sitefiles/62/7/2/627218/Newsletter_23_Autumn_21_FINAL_Short.pdf

Four papers were published on Texas history in The Journal of South Texas including The Lavaca River Trench and Lost Cannon (2001), Jean Louis Berlandier; A French Naturalist on the Texas Frontier (2010), Slaves on the "Ole" Foley Plantation, Lavaca County Texas (2012) and The Gonzales to San Felipe Road in Texas, 1827-1828 (2013). He had a long-time interest in Lavaca County history and in his later years became good friends with Washington Green Lee Foley family descendants, working with them to organize a family reunion and restore the Woods Family Cemetery near Moulton, Texas. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/life/article/a-texas-family-s-history-in-black-and-white-5415474.php / https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/slideshow/a-family-story-in-black-and-white-84210.php / http://www.lavacacountyhistory.org/foley_cemetery.htm / http://www.lavacacountyhistory.org/woods_cemetery.htm

Soon after retirement from the National Park Service in 1981 while in Hawaii, Ken sailed to the Pacific Northwest on a twenty-seven day 3,000 mile voyage in a 36' Angleman/Davies gaff rigged ketch. He eventually harbored the boat in a marina at Brinnon, Washington and moved ashore to a home on the Dosewallips River not far from the marina and close to Olympic National Park.

Between 1983 and 1990 Ken worked part-time for two years as a horticulturalist at Whitney Rhododendron and Azalea Gardens in Brinnon, and for five years full time as a biologist at the Coast Oyster Hatchery in nearby Quilcene.

After moving back to Texas in 1990 Ken owned and operated the Eyes of Texas Gallery in San Marcos; a picture framing business where he became interested in nineteenth century Victorian era British art. He also spent much time researching pioneer and frontier history between the 1820s and 1870s. Ken self-published six fiction works using the penname, James Kaye between 2000 and 2016.

Ken earned a Silver Badge from the Soaring Society of America for gaining more than 10,000 feet above release in a sailplane. With a group of five others bought, rebuilt, and flew a thirty-five-year-old Piper "tail dragger" Cub. He was a certified scuba diver in Hawaii with dives of an hour duration and to depths of 150 feet. He was Commodore of the Hilo Sailing Club, Hilo, Hawaii in 1977; Executive Secretary of the Slocum Society in Hilo in 1978. When living in Corpus Christi while working at Padre Island National Seashore, Ken built and sailed a 13' sloop around and across Corpus Christi Bay and back, fulfilling a childhood wish.

He was a member of the Brinnon, Washington School Board (1983-1987); Vice-chairman (1984-1986), Chairman (1987) until he moved to Port Ludlow, Washington. In Port Ludlow Ken continued working at the Coast Oyster Hatchery while also becoming a volunteer Community Coordinator for the International Education Forum (IEF) responsible for the placing of foreign exchange students in private homes, coordinating placements and monitoring them.

Ken is survived by his wife of nearly 30 years, Cathy Baker; two daughters, Kathy Davis and SueAnne Fowler (husband Jimmy); four sons, Gary Moore Baker (wife Teresa), James Morgan Baker (wife Lisa), Mark Christopher Baker (wife Bridgette), Jeff Hamilton Baker (wife Doranne) and their mother Martha Baker of Houston, daughters Kerri Lynn Harpole (husband Nate Taylor) and her mother Ilisa Peralta of O'ahu, Blanca Nidia Baker-Marcus (husband Bradley) and Herika Chavez Baker. Grandchildren, Lisa Walden, Karen Philips, Stacey Nelson, Jamie Rangel, Michael Baker, Evan Baker, Morgan Neay, Kelly Rees, Hunter Baker, Stratton Baker, Stephanie Bunch, Sean Popovic, Jordan Popovic, Hunter Harpole, Fiona Harpole, Nic Barnett and Lucas Barnett. Great grandchildren, Kyle Stagner, Amber Cockle, Tyler Cockle, Eli Nelson, Brody Nelson, Shawn Barajas, Madison Salias, Kylei Baker, Annika Baker, Evelin Baker, Jonathan Neay, Emmalee Neay, Maisy Popovic, Makena Popovic, Travis Baker, Molly Baker, Sorine Grace Bunch, Walker Bunch. Niece, Kennon Ruth Allee Welch, her daughter Sandra Lee Griffin (husband Asher) and granddaughter, Avery Grace Griffin.

Ken is preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.A.C. Baker of Corpus Christi, Texas; his sister Sandra Jane Allee and her husband, Ross Allee, and his good friends in later life, Willie and Jean Woods.

He will be fondly remembered by his family and friends. We are grateful to have known his love and care. Even the Prairie Lizards and Green Anoles that he would greet and loved to watch as they explored the plants on his porch will miss his presence and the water, he made sure was there for them.

Ken requested to be cremated. There will be a scattering of ashes and celebration of life later this Spring. May the Lord bless and keep him.

In lieu of flowers and if desired, memorial donations may be made to the National Parks Conservation Association or the National Park Foundation or to your local PBS station. https://support.npca.org/page/55687/donate/1?locale=en-US https://www.nationalparks.org/

Thank you to those who cared for Ken at Christus Santa Rosa in San Marcos, Texas and then at PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Luling in his final days; and to his Primary Care doctor, Dr. Arjun Mohandas along with Dr. William Abide of Austin Heart who both cared for Ken over several years.

Also, thank you to Rachel Amaya and Sharon Blue, Pennington Funeral Home, San Marcos, Texas for their kind assistance during this difficult time.

Memories and condolences can be shared in the guestbook. You can also view the Photo Album and share pictures.

Arrangements entrusted to Pennington Funeral Home 323 N Comanche St, San Marcos TX, 78666 (512)-353-4311. https://www.penningtonfuneralhome.com/