Obituary
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James Edward Baker

Date of Death: December 7, 2022

Date of Birth: September 2, 1939

Biography:

James Baker, of Brunswick, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on December 7, 2022.

James (Jim), the son of John and Frances Baker, was born in Elmira, New York, the oldest of six children. He is survived by his brothers Gerry and Larry Baker and his sister Donna Lindhorst. He was predeceased by his brother David Baker and his sister Sandy Westerlund.

Jim left home at seventeen to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Soon after, his life changed forever when he met the love of his life, Josephine "Jo" Heister, at a USO dance, and they never stopped dancing. They married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 3,1959, and moved around the country for his naval career, before being stationed at the Brunswick Naval Air Station (BNAS) in 1973. An electronics technician for most of his military career, Jim served as a race-relations trainer and drug-and-alcohol counselor at BNAS.

Jim and Jo decided Brunswick was the perfect place to raise their family, settling here after his retirement in 1977. Jim was a eucharistic minister and active member of St. Charles Borromeo Church, volunteering for the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program's Food Pantry and contributing meals for the Tedford Shelter. 

Jim and Jo loved to travel, and took advantage of her career as a travel agent to explore the world together.  Some favorite destinations included Israel, New Zealand, India, China, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland.

A voracious reader, Jim was never without a book nearby. He and Jo owned and operated Annie's Bookstop in Auburn for many years, and more recently, he could be found volunteering at Twice-Told Tales in Brunswick. He was an avid fan of the Red Sox and the Patriots, watching the games every Sunday in season while wearing his personalized jersey, with his trusty dachshund, Freddie, by his side.

Jim was a devoted father and inspiration to his six children and their partners, James Jr. (Charise), Cynthia (Seth), Lisa (Steve), Laura (Mike), Kelly (Eric), and Maureen (Mike).  He was a beloved grandfather to eleven grandchildren (Cassie, Katy, Jimmy, Nate, Chris, Jasmine, Vanessa, Angelica, Carlyle, Zachary, and Alison) and one great-grandchild (Clara).

When asked recently what his "superpower" was, he answered, without hesitation, that it was "love."

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, December 16, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 123 McKeen Street, Brunswick. There will be a reception at the adjacent parish hall immediately following the interment at St. John's Cemetery on Bath Road in Brunswick.

Condolences may be expressed at www.funeralalternatives.net.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Jim's name be made to the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program. Donations can be made online at www.mchpp.org/donate.