Radm Edward B. Baker Jr.

1937 - 2022

RADM Edward B. Baker, Jr.
Edward (Ted) Bigelow Baker, Jr. passed away peacefully on January 26, 2022. He spent his last weeks at his home in Washington, D.C., surrounded by his loving family. A retired Rear Admiral, United States Navy, former Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University, and retired Associate Dean for Finance and Administration at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Ted was known for his leadership, strong character, intellect, and sense of humor.
Born in 1937 in Detroit, Ted was the second of five children of Dr. and Mrs. Edward B. Baker and grew up on East Park Drive in Midland, Michigan. A precocious leader, his peers elected him Safety Patrol President in elementary school. Before the age of 17, he earned his Eagle Scout merit badges in record time and twice travelled to Washington, D.C. to meet President Eisenhower, first as an Order of the Arrow recipient and then as one of two Michigan representatives to Boys Nation. Ted was also President of the Midland High School Class of 1955.
Ted entered the United States Naval Academy during the summer of 1955. He lettered in track and field, rose through the midshipman ranks to battalion commander, and graduated with distinction.
Following graduation, Ted served as the 1st Lieutenant on the destroyer USS Hale (DD 642) and the Assistant Weapons Officer aboard USS Myles C. Fox (DDR 829), which helped oppose a Cuban-led insurrection in the Dominican Republic. Next, he attended the University of Michigan as a Burke Scholar, where he earned a master's degree in physics and met Michal Forster (1942-1975). They were married and moved to Newport, Rhode Island, where Ted served as the Operations Officer aboard the USS Davis (DD 937).
After Newport, Ted returned to the University of Michigan to do further graduate work in the field of Operations Research. They had two children, Sam and Sarah, before Ted was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Systems Analysis division. After a year in Washington, D.C., Ted served as the Executive Officer of USS Hoel (DDG 13). In 1970, Ted assumed command of the USS Bronstein (FF 1037).
While Ted was captain of the Bronstein, Michal fell ill with a brain tumor. The Navy transferred Ted to Washington D.C. so that Michal could receive experimental treatment at Johns Hopkins University. During Michal's illness, Ted's shore duty tours were at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, at the Brookings Institute as a Federal Executive Fellow, at the Office of the Secretary of Defense where he was a Staff Assistant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, and as a student at the National War College.
After a courageous five-year battle with cancer, Michal died in September 1975. Following her burial at Arlington National Cemetery, Ted returned to sea, commissioned the USS David R Ray (DD 971) in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and took the ship through the Panama Canal to its new homeport in San Diego.
After this sea tour, he returned to Washington where he married Stephanie Levinson, who was working for CBS at the time. They were married for 38 years until Stephanie died of cancer in July 2020. They raised two children together, Alexis and Edward (Teddy).
Ted's other sea commands included Commander, Destroyer Squadron Thirty-Three, Hawaii, and Commander Amphibious Group Three, San Diego, where he led the Navy's efforts to help contain and clean up the Exxon Valdez oil spill in the Prince William Sound and served as the Deputy Commander, Joint Task Force Alaska Oil Spill.
In later shore tours, after serving as head of the General-Purpose Forces Branch of the Systems Analysis Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Ted's concentration shifted to Asia. He was Executive Assistant to Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Command, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations on the Staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Director of East Asia and the Pacific Region in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (International Security Affairs).
As Senior Military Representative for the U.S. Philippine Bases Negotiations, he worked with Ambassador Richard Armitage to return military facilities to the Philippines. He also testified before the U.S. Congress on a number of issues including Soviet actions in the Pacific, the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zones, the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, and POW/MIA issues. He contributed to the redefining of the U.S.-New Zealand defense relationship and advancing the U.S.-Japan security relationship. In his last job with the Navy, he served as Director of the Strategy, Plans, Policy and Operations Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Ted's awards included the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal (2), Legion of Merit (2), Meritorious Service Medal (2), Navy Commendation Medal (2), Combat Action Ribbon, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Navy "E" Ribbon, Navy Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal (2), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2), Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Coast Guard Special Operations Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal (one bronze star), Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal (with device), Surface Warfare Insignia, Command at Sea Insignia, Office of the Defense Badge, Joint Chiefs of Staff Badge, and USCINCPAC Badge.
After retiring from the Navy, Ted became the Executive Director of the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the Associate Dean for Finance and Administration at SAIS.
Ted was preceded in death by his parents Edward (Ned) and Elizabeth (Betty) as well as his sister Mary Julia Baker McLaughlin.
Ted is survived by his children, five grandchildren—Michael, Stuart, Anna B, Sammy, and Amalie; his sisters Kaye Baker Kelley and Liz Baker Gaspar, and his brother William (Bill) Baker, and many nieces and nephews.
With a twinkle in his eye, the warmest of smiles, and an affinity for bad puns, Ted was forever interested in ideas and other people. This combined with his can-do attitude and integrity inspired admiration in all who met him. He will be profoundly missed.
Services will be held on July 8, 2022, at Grace Church in Alexandria, VA, followed by a burial at Arlington National Cemetery.