Robert Camille Baker
March 25, 1922 - April 18, 2009
Obituary
Robert Camille Baker was born March 25, 1922 in the Fremont area of Seattle. His parents were Marie Antoinette and John Baker. He was the second oldest of four children: Ruth, Bob, Russ, and Bill. Bob went to B.F. Day Elementary, Alexander Hamilton Jr. High, and finally Lincoln High School. His favorite school-aged activities were roller skating, touch football, baseball, track, and going to school games. When Bob was in elementary school, his uncle and aunt were visiting from Alaska. They bought him a fishing pole, which was the start of a lifelong love of fishing. This hobby has filled his life with many wonderful experiences on the waters of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. He was very familiar with the waters of the North Puget Sound, having spent many hours fishing in places such as Point-No-Point and Jefferson Head with special fishing buddies.
While growing up, Bob helped with family chores such as mowing the lawn, chopping and piling wood for the wood furnace, washing dishes, and emptying the pail of melted water from the ice chest refrigerator. His first paid job was helping a friend with a paper route distributing the ‘The Buyer’s Guide.’ He earned 15 cents each day. His first daily job was working for a druggist on 1st Avenue for $14 a week. Bob worked for an optical company until he got a job driving a bus in Alaska. During WWII Bob served in the Army Air Corps in Alaska.
When he was seventeen years old, Bob met Dorothy Bowman at the Ridge Rink Roller Rink on N. 85th Street. Bob was attracted to Dorothy’s friendliness, sincerity, and beauty. They got married after the war. Both of them wanted children. They bought a house in Ballard in 1954 where they raised their six children: Diane, Joanne, Marianne, Bob, Jim, and Trisha. Bob supported his family by driving buses for Seattle Transit, which became Metro Transit before he retired. Bob was also a great cook. Family and friends always looked forward to his Thanksgiving turkey dinners and his very popular smoked salmon and his crab salads.
Bob also operated the monorail for the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. There he met Elvis Presley, Grace Kelly and Walt Disney, among other VIPs. On December 16, 2008, Bob and wife, Patsy, were riding the monorail from downtown to the Seattle Center to watch an Imax movie. ‘We heard a burst of air, and it came to a stop,’ Bob reported to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. ‘We were there for about 20 minutes and the driver could not get it running again.’ Bob and Patsy had to transfer to the other train and eventually told their story to local news channels who found it interesting that an original driver of the train had such an adventure as a passenger! Bob told the driver not to feel too bad, because ‘it happened during the fair, too!’
Devastation hit Bob and his children when Dorothy became ill while volunteering at her children’s school, St. Alphonsus, and died two days later. At this point Dorothy’s mother, ‘Grandma Rose,’ became an important support for the family. Later Dorothy’s sister introduced Bob to Phoebe Craven. Bob and Phoebe were married in 1976. Their time together was cut short when Phoebe died of cancer only nine years later.
Bob met his third wife, Patsy Hickenbottom, through his daughter Marianne’s marriage to Paul Hickenbottom Patsy’s son. Bob and Patsy were married in 1990. They shared almost 20 years together in Ballard until Bob’s sudden death from cancer on April 18, 2009. Bob is survived by his six children, fourteen grandchildren Kristen, Sarah, Kenny, Jessica, Joe, Steven, Kevin, Sarah, Amy, Whitney, Lily, Dana, and Ehrin, and nine great grandchildren Kaopua, Ryan, Clara, Camille, Collin, Christian, Dylan, Dakota, and Colin.
Bob’s family has been privileged these last few weeks to care for him on his final life journey, which has brought our family even closer together. We are so grateful for all the people who have been part of his life: relatives, fishing buddies, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, who have made Bob’s life so fulfilling.
Bob will be missed by all his relatives from De & Md. He was so welcoming & friendly. I liked that he shared his salmon! Till we meet again!
Grampa: I am so glad that Ryan and I were able to spend time with you. I wish had had been sooner but it is still very precious to me. I know you are up there keeping a watch over me. Now you can have a best seat in the house for all your family’s adventures. Give a kiss to my Gramma. I love you, Kristen
Our Love goes to all of you.
Chuck and Tina and family
Bob was our close neighbor,and true friend, his daughters were part of our family through their high-school years.. After My retirement in 1980 I was privalaged to be his sometimes fishing partner, never was skunked, in fact Bob was the only fisherman I knew that every year consistantly filled his steelhead card. He will be sorely missed by his family, his neighbors the sport fishing community, he was a real gentleman and we all loved him.
May you rest in peace.
God Bless you
Heidi and Kevin Daoust
Our sympathy to Aunt Patsy, Marianne and the Baker family. We will miss Uncle Bob very much. Uncle Bob always had great stories, the BEST smoked salmon and such a wonderful smile! He was truly a genuine gentleman! Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
~Wendy and Steve
Uncle Bob, You are the last. Take care of Dad, Uncle Russ and Aunt Ruth. We got a call this morning that Dad’s grandson Brendan died this morning, you are in charge. We will miss you.
Tom
My heartfelt sympathy for your loss. I enjoyed visiting with Bob and Aunt Patsy at campouts and hearing about their many adventures. He will be missed. Sending love your way. Laura
I have so many wonderful memories growing up across the street from ‘The Baker’s’ for all of my childhood. I felt I had two homes growing up, being best friends with Marianne and knowing the family so well. I’m so sorry for your loss –
Dad, I miss you and appreciate all you did for us
love, Joanne
Just thinking about you Grandpa. Miss you.