William O. Baker Obituary

WILLIAM O. BAKER
The Times, Beaver Newspapers, Inc., PA
Sunday, May 9, 2010

William O. Baker, 89, of Beaver, peacefully passed away Friday evening, May 7, 2010, at Heritage Valley Beaver, with his family at his side.
Born April 21, 1921, in North Sewickley Township, he was a son of the late Michael and Annette Obney Baker and had been a resident of Beaver all of his life. Bill was proud to be a descendant of the Blockhouse-Baker families, who were considered the original descendants of Beaver County. He retired as vice president and as a professional engineer with Michael Baker Jr., Inc. during which time he headed the photogrammetry department. He was a licensed surveyor and actually began surveying as a young boy along side his father, Michael Baker, who was Beaver County’s first surveyor. He was a lifelong member of the First Presbyterian Church, Beaver, where he had served as a Deacon, and was a veteran of the U. S. Air Force having served during World War II. It was during World War KK that he had served as a Captain with the 316th Troop Carrier Group and was a pilot of the C47. He flew in the Mideast and European Campaigns and most notably had made several missions on D-Day, having taken direct orders from General Eisenhower. A 1938 graduate of Beaver Area high School, he attended Geneva College and later graduated with Honors from Penn State University where he had served as president of the Penn State Engineering Society. A former president, the PA Society of Professional Engineers, Beaver County Chapter, later named him engineer of the year. Bill was an active member of his community in many ways including having served as past president of Merrick Art Gallery and also as the Gallery’s project engineer during their renovation. He was also an active member of the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation.
He will be sadly missed by his family including his wife of 67 years, Lois Nelson Baker, whom he married November 20, 1942 at the historic post chapel at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, two sons, Riley Baker, Beaver, Kent (Cindy) Baker Boalsburg, PA; three daughters, Jan Baker, Beaver; Emily (Barry) Blose, Washington, PA; Martha (Dennis Brellock) Baker, Bridgewater; two sisters, Mary Yarnelle, Santa Fe, NM, and Edith Metheny, Chippewa Township; two grandsons, Wesley and Ross Baker, Boalsburg, numerous nieces, nephews and many friends.
Preceding him in death besides his parents were five brothers, John, James, Daniel, George, Michael Jr., and four sisters, Juliet, Josephine, Doris and Martha.
Friends will be received today from 4 to 8 in the NOLL FUNERAL HOME INC., 333 Third St. Beaver. A funeral service will be conducted Monday at 12 noon at the First Presbyterian Church, Beaver by his pastor, Rev. Dr. Jeffrey A. Arnold.
Private interment will take place at the Beaver Cemetery.
Online condolences may be shared at nollfuneral.com.
Memorial contributions may be made, in Bill’s name, if desired, to the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation, P. O. Box 147, Beaver, PA 15009 or to the First Presbyterian Church, College Ave, Beaver, PA 15009.