HAROLD BAKER

LAKEWOOD, Colo.- A celebration of life will be held at a later date for Harold Lester Baker, 84, Lakewood, a former Liberal, Mo. and Winter Park resident, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017.

Memorial donations are requested to the Liberal School for a Baker-Williams scholarship fund or to the Liberal Cemetery Shelter House fund.

Survivors include his companion, Josie Parkhurst, of the home; a daughter, Lisa Baker, Lakewood; a sister, Reba Rouse, Lamar, Mo.; a brother-in-law, Elmer Fast, Liberal, Mo.; three nieces, Cathy Williams and Nancy Dickey, Liberal, Mo. and Elaine Castagno, Pittsburg, Kan. and two nephews, Larry Fast, Liberal, Mo. and Mike Fast, Pittsburg, Kan.

He was preceded in death by his son, Harold, Jr.; a sister, Arlene Fast; a nephew, Rick Rouse; one grandson, Glenn Baker, and a twin, as well as both of his parents.

Mr. Baker was born Dec. 20, 1932, near Baker’s Grove in Barton County to Marlow Glenn and Iona (Ricketts) Baker. He attended one room schools and was a 1950 graduate of Liberal High School. In February 1952 he entered basic training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. After basics, he was stationed at Lowry Air Base at Boulder, as a tail gunner on a B-29. He entered the service with two Liberal friends, Richard Cooper, Liberal, Mo. and Bill Percy of Lamar, Mo. They remained lifelong friends.

After his service he earned a degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1961, then worked for a company that launched weather balloons.

He married Roberta Williams in Liberal, Mo. She died Dec. 20, 1975. A son, Harold, Jr., was born to them. He died in June of 2000. A daughter, Lisa, was added to the family.

Following that, he and his wife Roberta, along with a friend, purchased the Sitzmark Ski Lodge at Winter Park and was owner and manager until he sold it in September of 2010 to the town of Winter Park. They named a street in the Sitzmark area, “Baker Street”, in his honor.