Donald Charles Baker, 82

Donald Charles Baker, 82, passed away on Monday, April 19, 2010, in Sagle, Idaho.

Private inurnment will take place at the Pack River Cemetery.

Don was born on August 31, 1927 in Long Beach, Calif., to Charles and Ethel (Peek) Baker, and was later joined by twin brothers Roger and Clyde. In 1944 during World War II, at the age of 17 he enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS Henderson DD-785 and was honorably discharged in 1946.

Don was married to Dollie Jean Meckley and had two children, John Brian and Sally Jean. During this time he was employed with the Shell Oil Refinery for 15 years. He was also a member of the Long Beach Roadrunners Club, built Model-T roadsters, and raced them on the dry lake beds in southern California.

He married JoEllen Walker in May 1958 and started Don’s Tune-up for a short time in Newport Beach, Calif.

They had three children, Christine, Dan, and Jeff and moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1961 and operated Baker’s Shell Station on the Dover Hwy.

In 1972, Don opened Baker’s Carburetor and Electric located at 1207 Highway 2 and gained an exceptional reputation for carburetor repair. Many stories and jokes were told in the shop; old acquaintances would call, sometimes long distance, to tell Don a joke. He was very honest, upstanding, highly regarded and always enjoyed a good conversation about guitars, astronomy, hunting, photography and hot rods.

Don played guitar with the Old Time Fiddlers for more than 30 years and especially enjoyed playing with Mary Ellen Black, Bud Ingram, Chet Howell, and Bernie Langsdorf. 

In 1992 he retired and moved to Eagen Mountain in Hope, Idaho, and wintered in Green Valley, Ariz., until 2006. In Green Valley he played guitar with an 18-piece band, “Big Band Sounds of Green Valley.”

He sold and moved to Sagle in 2004. There he took great pleasure in gardening and raised award-winning onions with his triplet granddaughters. Especially big in size were the Ailsa Craig onions suggested by his friend Barney Blasko.

He is survived by his wife of almost 52 years, JoEllen of Sagle; four children, Sally Baker of Portland, Ore., Christine (Gregory) Miller of Sagle, Dan (Angie) Baker of Sandpoint, and Jeff (Leony) Baker of Oldtown, Id, and 8 grandchildren: Brian, Morgan, Andrew, Kyle, Wesley, Ariel, Emily and Zoe.

He was preceded in death by his parents, twin brothers, and eldest son John Baker in 2008. We will miss him very much.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit Don’s online memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his guest book.