Gerald William 'Bill' Baker Obituary (1936

Gerald William ("Bill") Baker, of Okanogan, passed away November 26, 2019, in Yakima where he and his wife, Jackie, had lived and raised their five children: Noel, Hank, David, Molly, and Augusta. Bill was born September 19, 1936, in Seattle to Dr. Gerald and Agnes (nee Kussie) Baker. They moved to Okanogan in 1941 with Bill sporting twin Roy Rogers pistols on his hip and toting his Red Ryder BB gun. Notwithstanding being the son of an avid bird-hunter, Bill's firearm experience began and ended there, although he remained a lifetime supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Bill began his elementary education at Christ the King in Omak. An early sport enthusiast, he pitched the idea that the school convert its less-than-regulation-sized bus garage into a make-shift basketball court. Bill recalled, "I think the bus driver was our coach." In his early teens, lacking an organized baseball program in Okanogan, Bill formed his own team, the Sharks. They challenged the Omak high school team to a game which culminated in an improbable win that included the ol hidden ball trick. Bill spent his first two years of collage at Notre Dame. In 1956 he married his hometown sweetheart, Jacqueline Pittman and they settled in Seattle.where he resumed his studies while working at Boeing as a draftsman. He graduated from the University of Washington in Far East Studies and Russian in 1962, followed by a law degree in 1965. Despite this U Dub affiliation, Bill was a lifelong Cougar fan. ("You can take the boy out of the country"). After a year's clerkship in Olympia at the Washington State Supreme Court for the Honorable Judge Dolph Barnett, he moved his growing familyalready four children, to Yakima where he entered the private practice of law. These years found Bill engaged in civic and community activities: Kiwanis, JayCees, City of Yakima Civil Service Commission, bar and trial associations, non-profit boards, dance club, choral groups, and community theater. He coached youth baseball and football, added child number five to the mix, and yet still found time to meet with his cronies to solve the worlds most pressing problems over a pitcher of beer at Little Johns. By the 70s he was steeped in all aspects of theatre: artistic and technical. He served as president of the WA State Community Theatre Assn. and was a founding member of WA State Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. He learned to tap dance to claim the lead in the Yakima Warehouse production of "George M" and challenged his memory by learning the 1,480 lines Shakespeare assigned to Hamlet (his favorite role).Bill shocked the establishment by casting a woman in the role of Jesus when he directed "Godspell." In 1978 he became the Managing/Artistic Director of the Warehouse Theater in Yakima. He went on to study drama at Yale University, interned at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, then free-lanced as a stage combat instructor/choreographer, actor, director, and technical advisor. Bills dream to establish a non-profit theater devoted to the classics never came to fruition and he spent much of his last years reading, writing, discovering Wagner (thanks to Bugs Bunnys "Whats Opera Doc"), feeding the hummingbirds and observing nature at the cabin, One of his greatest pastimes was playing board games. ("A round of King Maker anyone?"). This interest in gaming was rivaled by his passion for baseball and he was a lifelong, die-hard fan from Seattles Pilots to its Mariners. Bill continues to be a force in the lives of his family and will be dearly missed. He is survived by Jackie, with whom for 63 years they shared the stage, a love of family, similar tastes in music, humor, and politics, and a lifetime of memories; their children (and families): Noel (and Robert) Manderville, Hank (and Cindy) Baker, Dave (and Michele) Baker, Molly (and Thomas) Crofts, Augusta (and Theo) McMurray; grandchildren: Lily, Holden, Jack, Aubrey, Winston, Grace, Abe, Rex, August, Henry, Uma, Bao and Jin; his siblings: Mary, Tom and Sue; inlaws and outlaws: Jake Pittman and Roger Smith; nieces and nephews. We are grateful to his ever-attentive sister Mary and her husband Neal, also to Greg and niece Jeryl for their kind support during Bills illness.Also, we cannot thank enough Yakimas Cottage in the Meadow for their compassionate and professional care. At Bill's request, in lieu of a formal service there will be a family celebration of life at the cabin in Conconully in the Spring. Contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society, a youth sports organization or charity of your choice.