Lynton W. Baker

June 27, 2025

Sacramento, California - It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Lynton (Lynn) Baker at his home in Sacramento this June. He was the beloved son of the late Gerald and Violet Baker. Lynn graduated from Del Mar High School in San Jose, Santa Clara University (BS, Combined Science) and California State University at San Jose (MS, Air Quality Management). He retired in 2024 after a 40-year career with the California Environmental Protection Agency's California Air Resources Board (CARB).

As a CARB Staff Air Pollution Specialist and environmental scientist, Lynn was devoted to the broader mission of California state service and worked tirelessly to improve, protect, and preserve outdoor and indoor air quality for Californians. His work at CARB paved the way for establishing a national formaldehyde emissions standard to protect all Americans in their homes. Lynn was widely respected for his unwavering ethical standards, impressive technical expertise, and thoughtful collaborative spirit. He was known as a mentor to countless colleagues and young professionals, and held a deep belief in the power of public service to improve lives. He received numerous recognitions throughout his career including CARB's Award of Excellence in 2010.

Lynn's love of the outdoors was reflected in running cross country in high school and college, hiking, bicycling, tennis, and bird watching in Sacramento, as well as during his travels throughout the United States to visit family and friends. Meteorology and astronomy were passions throughout his life. In his youth, Lynn played cello and sang in school and church choirs. For years he volunteered with the YMCA and Special Olympics.

Most of all, Lynn will be remembered as a devoted son, treasured cousin, and compassionate friend. He was quick to offer help and support to anyone in need. Lynn lived his Christian faith every day. We will miss his gentle smile, sense of humor, enthusiasm for the San Francisco Giants, encyclopedic knowledge of the great outdoors, and unwavering friendship.

Lynn fought valiantly against an aggressive recurrence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He will be greatly missed by cousins Kay Baker (Michael Meisinger), Patric Baker, Rita Turpen and Randy Colglazier (Sharon) as well as numerous dear friends including companion Leslie Watts of Sacramento.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, September 12, 2025 at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Roses at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests donations be made in Lynn's name to The Leukemia And Lymphoma Society.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Sacramento Bee from Aug. 14 to Aug. 17, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Lynton Baker

Sponsored by Sacbee.com.

6 Entries

Richard Bode

September 12, 2025

I worked with Lynn at the California Air Resources Board for over 30 years. He was a great scientist. You could always depend on Lynn for his high-quality analyses and work to support our mutual assignments. He was well respected. Lynn was also a real gentleman. When we´d meet in hallways, he would always greet me with a smile and ask how I was doing. Just talking to Lynn would brighten my day. Even if we hadn´t seen each other for a while, he´d pick right up with a greeting. He was like that with everyone.

I´m so sorry to hear of Lynn´s passing. I´m sure he´s looking upon us and admiring all the good work he did to protect public health and God´s creation. It was such a pleasure to know him.

Yuki Darko

September 5, 2025

I met Lynn Baker in August 1995, shortly after I moved into my apartment in Sacramento. Lynn saw me coming out of my apartment and he greeted me with a smile and welcomed me to the neighborhood. We greeted and chatted with each other, and I grew to like him. A few years later, Lee Schuller moved into his apartment above mine, and the 3 of us became friends. I enjoyed having Lee and Lynn as my neighbors. Eventually Lee and I moved out of the neighborhood, but the 3 of us kept in touch and remained friends, and over the years our friendship grew stronger. We attended numerous dinners, exchanged Christmas gifts, attended movies, and hiked in the Sierras. Leslie Watts, Lynn´s companion, joined our dinner outings and expanded our friendship circle.

Lynn called me frequently just to say hello, a day before major holidays, and on my birthdays. Lynn always asked about my mom and how she was doing. We talked about our love for cats. A few years ago, Lynn "adopted" a feral black and white cat that he named Dairy. He fed and sheltered her in his home. Lynn exerted extra effort to win Dairy´s trust, and he was able to remove her matted fur. During the last days of his life, even when Lynn was feeling very weak and in immense pain, he went home just so that Dairy will see him again.

Lynn was a kind, warm, and caring friend, and an extraordinary loving person. I expressed my appreciation for his kindness, and he stated that he always stayed in touch with his family members and friends.

I feel so blessed that he was my friend. I miss him tremendously, but I know that he is now in heaven with his parents and cousin Marie. He is in peace and in the best place. I will treasure my memories of him forever. Dear Lynn, I will see you again.

Yuki Darko

Yuki Darko

September 5, 2025

Melinda

September 3, 2025

It was such a blessing to be a part of his life as our neighbor and friend. There with him through the journey in his later years, he shared with us his moments of joy and of hardship, but his positive energy never wavered. We would share stories and always offer support for each other. I watched him battle his disease til the end with such perseverance and a strong sense of optimism. I was always there to discuss our lives and our shared love of cats. His cats miss him but are in our care, living their lives to the fullest day in and day out. Lynn is greatly missed by us all, but his love and care for his cats lives on through me. Many condolences to his family, friends and furry loved ones.

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Lee Schuller

September 3, 2025

I met Lynn in 1998 when I was moving from Reno to Sacramento and into my apartment in Sacramento where Lynn was also a tenant. Lynn was the first person I ran across in the complex, and he greeted me with a warm welcome and we engaged in only a short conversation, but I remember that brief cordial interaction left me with the impression that this new neighbor was probably someone I might want to get to know more as a possible candidate as a friend in my new home.
Little did I know at the time that this was the beginning of a great friendship spanning 27 years.
Lynn and I quickly discovered that we were both runners, so we established a routine where almost every Thursday night we went out for a 6-mile run along the American river and surrounding neighborhoods. Afterwards we would have a meal somewhere and talk about everything from politics to sports and everything in-between. We went on many beautiful hikes throughout the Sierra´s over the years. On weekends we would often catch a meal and a movie or just browse around the local Borders bookstore with our mutual neighbor and friend Yuki. And we would never miss watching the World Series together at a local sports bar somewhere. Lynn was always an avid Giants fan, and this sometimes led to some interesting rivalries since I was a Twins fan.
When I moved back to Reno in 2012, we kept in regular contact talking on the phone or occasionally connecting during one of my trips to Sacramento. I will always remember him as a kind and gentle soul, and I feel very blessed that our paths intersected in this life - I will miss him greatly.
To Leslie and all of Lynn´s friends and family, I extend my sincere condolences.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"

Kristi Burgess Wolf

August 15, 2025

The last Del Mar High School Reunion was my most recent meeting with Lynton. At that event, I was happy to learn how well he was doing in all aspects of his life. His love of the outdoors was nurturing him in many ways. I was very saddened to learn of his passing. Though we were just high school friends and didn´t keep in touch beyond that, Lynton was such a grounded, peaceful, kind and capable person of great integrity -of which there are too few and of whom you hope will always be there. His presence, even from my distant vantage point will be missed.

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