Judith Evelyn Baker

Judith Baker passed away on December 23, 2025.
Judith Evelyn Baker was a pioneering leader in early childhood development in San Francisco, where she devoted more than fifty years of her life to advocating for children and families.
Beginning her work in the 1970's, Judith founded and led multiple child care centers, with a particular focus on the South of Market neighborhood. At a time when access to quality child care was far from guaranteed, she worked closely with city leaders and community partners to secure funding and build sustainable programs that served working families. Her leadership helped shape child care as an essential public service in San Francisco, not a luxury.
In recognition of her lasting impact, a child care center was named in her honor, a reflection of the deep respect she earned through decades of tireless dedication. Generations of children, families, and fellow advocates felt the reach of her work, and her influence continues through the institutions she built and the lives she touched.
Judith is survived by her only adoptive daughter, Kimberly Kriegh, her son-in-law Justin Kriegh, and her two beloved grandchildren Leah and Austin Kriegh,as well as her sister Carla Baker, brother in law Thomas Hause and brother Calvin Baker, and sister in law Sandra Baker.
Her legacy lives on in the children she served, the families she supported, and the city she helped shape with compassion, persistence, and vision. She loved to travel and spend time with her family. Her memory of helping others and her kindness will live on forever in our hearts.
The family will have a private family service at a later date. "