Jb Baker

Joseph Burl Baker (J.B.) 89, of Plano left this life on September 5, 2015 to be in the presence of his Lord and Savior. He was born August 2, 1926 in Turkey, Texas to Roy William and Annie Armstrong Baker. JB had 11 sisters and brothers. Dad served in the U.S. Army and was on a troop transport ship headed for Japan when Japan surrendered. He spent the next year as part of the occupation forces in Japan. After being discharged from active duty as a Technician Fifth Grade, he returned to Texas where he started out life on his own.

In 1950, his future bride invited him to a church Valentine's Day Banquet at Edmonson Baptist Church of Edmonson, Texas. A few months later Joseph Burl Baker and Patricia Monen Rackley were married on September 13, 1950. JB and Pat were just one week away from celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.

JB and Pat had four sons: Ronnie, Glenn, Brian, and Leland. He was preceded in death by Brian. His survivors include wife Pat, sons Ronnie and his wife Diane, Glenn and wife Shirley, Leland and life partner Ben Mitchell, granddaughter Kelsey Baker Sawyer and husband Brad, and grandson Jentry Baker. Surviving siblings include younger brother Eugene and sisters Clova Dell, Dorothy, Irene, and Lenora.

One of Dad's early jobs was at Long Bell Lumber Yard & Cabinet Shop in Amarillo, where he made cabinets and sashes for windows. This started a lifelong love of working with wood. Up until the very end he enjoyed going out to his shop to work on do-dads, whirlygigs, and bringing old furniture back to life. Dad farmed for years near Edmonson. In 1965 we moved to Lebanon, Missouri where he was a rancher until retirement in 1994.

JB and Pat loved the Lord and have been faithful members of Hunters Glen Baptist Church in Plano. Their Sunday School Class was very active and enjoyed frequent and sometimes last night get-togethers for cards and dominoes.

Visitation is on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 from 5:00 -7:00 pm at Allen Family Funeral Options.

Funeral services will take place on Wednesday September 9, 2015 at 12:00 pm at Hunters Glen Baptist Church, 4001 Custer Rd, Plano, Texas 75023. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org/