Ronald Weltie Baker was born October 5, 1934 to Weltie Washington Baker and Ruby Shipley Baker.  He was the second youngest of 5 children.  He had four sisters, Jeannine, Betty, Joan and Patricia.  Ronnie grew up in Takoma Park and attended Mount Rainer Junior High.    During his school years Ronnie enjoyed basketball and baseball.   He worked at Simmons Mobile Market as his first job.   Ronnie Joined the Army at age 19 and served for 2 years.  Once out of the Army, he married Barbara Forsyth.  The couple raised 3 children, Ronna, Stacie and Andrew and lived most of their married life in New Carrollton where they socialized with friends and family.  Ronnie enjoyed playing golf every weekend, and attending Redskin games with the family.  The Washington Senators were his favorite baseball team and he would often listen to the play by play on the radio.  He was employed at Embassy Dairy for most of his work life which required long hours on a milk truck.  The couple later divorced after 29 years of marriage.  Ronnie later married Frances Helphenstine and the couple lived in LaPlata Maryland.  Together they raised Scherry and Valerie Baker and Chris Holmes.  Ronnie enjoyed spending time with his sisters, their children, and became a Grandpa to several children he cared about.  He loved his house and after he and Frances divorced, he kept the home and continued to live there the rest of his life.  He shared his daily life with his daughter Scherry who lived with him and looked after him as much as he would allow.  He became closer to all his children the older he became and often expressed how much he loved them all.   

Ronnie worked hard his whole life, after retirement from the dairy, he continued working part time jobs up until his 81st birthday.    He enjoyed spending time with his extended family and the friends he made, but never during Redskin games, as no noise was allowed.  The Nationals baseball team became a passion for him.   In his later years, Ronnie still enjoyed working in his yard and getting his coffee from the WaWa every morning.  He would speak to everyone he ran into, hoping for some banter and a laugh.  He liked to visit the companies he had accounts with to pay the bills in person and made friendships along the way.   He was still driving and would make the 2-hour trip from his house to see his doctors in Frederick.   He became ill in late May, and after a 5 week course, passed away peacefully surrounded by those he loved on June 26th, 2017.   

Interment Maryland National Memorial Park.

 Service Information