Thomas M. Baker

Published 9:32 am Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Thomas Martin Baker, 57, of Bowling Green, died Dec. 21, 2014, at The Medical Center, following a lengthy illness. 

He was born Jan. 25, 1957, in Erie, Pa., and he was the oldest of seven children of Alan L. Baker and the late Jeanne O. Baker.

Tom was a 1974 graduate of Cambridge Springs High School in Cambridge Springs, Pa. He and his family moved to Bowling Green in 1974, and Tom received his associate’s degree from Western Kentucky University in 1978. He was formerly employed in Bowling Green at Sears, BGMU and Bluegrass Renovations/Home Renewal. He has been a realtor with Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate from 1992 to the present. 

Tom married his wife, Marilyn, in 1981. They have five children, Gunnery Sgt. Jay Donnelly, USMC (Kelly), Maj. Nathan Baker, USMC (Stephanie), Sarah Baker, Sgt. Matt Baker, USMC (Makenzie), and Gabe Baker. Tom has five grandchildren, Cassidy, Nate, Hunter, Blake and Sophia. He is survived by his father, Alan, and his six siblings, Father Gerald Baker, Dan Baker, Lisa VanWye, Matt Baker (Margaret), John Baker (Sandra) and Kathryn Bornemann (George). 

Tom and his family are all members of St. Joseph Catholic Church. 

Tom’s true passion – other than his family – was his commitment to wildlife and conservation issues. Some of these endeavors include the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation (chairman and member); the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation in Washington, D.C. (chairman, director and member); the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (chairman of the board and director); Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife (chairman and commissioner); Boone & Crockett Club Lifetime Member; Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Foundation; and the Kentucky Elk Restoration Project (founder). Tom was an avid big game hunter and participated in over 100 hunts and safaris spanning the North American continent, as well as Africa.

Tom was also active in a broad range of community activities, as he was a former director of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of leadership Bowling Green, a member of Bowling Green-Warren County Crime Stoppers and the founder of Citizens for Honest Government. 

Visitation is from noon to 8 p.m. Friday at J.C. Kirby & Son, Lovers Lane chapel, with a prayer service at 6 p.m. Visitation will also be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church. A memorial service will be at noon Saturday at the church, with a private burial following at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy should take the form of donations to the Appalachian Wildlife Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation or the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.