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DOYLE RICHARD BAKER
Feb. 4, 1932 – Oct. 4, 2019
Baker Obit pic Esc
Doyle Richard Baker, our Papa, peacefully passed away October 4, 2019, at the age of 87 in Escalon CA, with family at his side and in his heart.
Doyle was born February 4, 1932, to Rufus and Sylvia Baker at French Camp Hospital in Stockton, CA, a sibling to Don, Leon, and Ken, who are all deceased. He graduated from Lodi High School in 1950, then served as a firefighter before joining the Navy in September 1950, training in San Diego. He transferred to the USS Philippine Sea CVA-47 in 1951 and had two combat tours as part of the repair 8 flight deck crash crew, one of 3,000 men with 80 planes, 50 miles off the coast. He was honorably discharged in 1953 at Treasure Island.
He found the love of his life Nona Gray and got married after his tour of service on June 30, 1956. He graduated from Cogswell Polytechnical College majoring in Electronics with a minor in Mechanical Engineering. They started a family in 1957. Doyle then found work from 1960 to 1992 with Sandia National Laboratories, primarily in the Telemetry Group testing re-entry vehicles during the cold war at a time when what are now called wine cellars, were then called bomb shelters. He retired after 32 happy and fun years of life service to his country.
He was a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars and life-long Christian. He lived in San Francisco, Pleasanton, Manteca, Modesto, Jackson, and finally Escalon. During work and in retirement he thoroughly enjoyed camping, boating, celebrations, and traveling the country with his long time high school friends the Sellers, Crows, Conrads, and Pattersons. He loved cars and any hands-on work. Mostly, though, he loved family and telling stories and joking at gatherings, and that’s the way he went out - “I had a great life!”
He is survived by his wife Nona Baker, sons Michael and Thomas, and daughters Julie, Laura, and Caroline. His firstborn Jeff preceded him in death in September of 2012. His grandchildren are Nelson, Tiffany, Nicole, Tara, Samantha, Natalie, Charles, Jennifer and Ian. His great-grandchildren are Noah, Isaac, Dustyn, and Brittney. His surviving life-long friends are Phil Conrad and Carol Crow.
In lieu of flowers and if you’d like to donate, please make a contribution to the Battle Buddy Foundation, at https://www.tbbf.org/ in Doyle’s name. Contact Collins Family Funeral Home at 209-368-2444 for more information.
Best. Dad. Ever.

The Escalon (Calif.) Times

Oct. 16, 2019