Kenneth W. Baker

Kenneth W. Baker of Asheville passed away on Saturday, March 20th at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem after a long illness.  Born on April 12, 1947 in Mount Pleasant, New York “Kenny” was the youngest – and last surviving child of Jane (d.) and Claude (d.) Baker. 

A perfectionist by nature, Ken was meticulous and took his time with any project he undertook.  He had a passion for collecting model trains and a hobby of building an ever-expanding layout for them.  He enjoyed golf (which he discovered after his move to Asheville) and improving his game with a foursome of friends. He also enjoyed building computers and playing computer games.

Born and raised in Elmsford, New York, Ken was a graduate of SUNY New Paltz where he majored in English. A long-time resident of New York, he moved to Asheville in 1988 and worked at Eaton and Borg Warner before retiring.

He leaves behind his wife Joanne and sons Martin and Kevin, 9 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews.  A private memorial will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a book or monetary donation to The POP Project, promoting literacy  (thepopproject.org),  Or your favorite charity. 

He reached his final station and thought, “I like trains.  I like their rhythm and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going.”  Godspeed on your next journey.

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