Dale F. Baker

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Dale F. Baker, 91, of Lafayette, passed away at 6:15 a.m. on Friday, May 27, 2016 at White Oaks Health Campus of Monticello.

He was born Oct. 29, 1924 in Indianapolis and was the son of Franklin J. and Vada Jane Baker, residents of that city.

He was a graduate of Bainbridge High School and served in the U.S. Army from April 1943 until September 1945. Dale attended Purdue University and in 1950 received a Bachelor of Science in forestry.

On March 5, 1944, he married Maryanna Etnire in St. Luke Lutheran Church in Logansport. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in 2014. Theirs was a love of devotion and enduring companionship.

Dale was a member of the Lafayette St. James Lutheran Church.

Immediately after college, Dale went to work for National Homes Corporation here in Lafayette as a member of their service department. In this capacity, he worked for several years as a traveling construction instructor and a heating and air conditioning specialist.

In 1960 he was promoted to plant manager of the newly built manufacturing plant in Collins, Miss. At the end of three years he was transferred as a regional sales manager to the manufacturing and sales center at Tyler, Texas, a functioning location that served dealers in eight states. In 1964, he was promoted to corporate vice president and general manager of Tyler facility. Following in 1967, he was transferred back to the Lafayette home office and given the title and responsibilities of president of all land division activities.

After retirement from National Homes, he accepted an offer from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Water in 1986 to become an engineering assistant. In this endeavor, he inspected and assisted in the supervision of the construction of dams, levies, bank erosion projects and many other water-related activities throughout the state. By the time he concluded these assignments at the end of 1999, he had received accolades and awards from his department superiors, office of the Governor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and several county elected officials.

In 1994 he was DNR Employee of the Year and received the state Richard Lieber Award.

Dale was an outdoor sportsman. Any spare time he could garner away from work and active family participation was spent fishing or hunting somewhere in the U.S. or Canada.

Surviving with his wife is a son, Bradley Ray Baker (wife Diane) of Monticello and a daughter Rhonda Rae Cattell (husband Donald) of Valley Center, Calif.; sisters Sandra O'Hair and Sharon Austin; brother Jerry Baker; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his sister Naomi Elliott.

The family will receive friends from non until the time of funeral service at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8 at Hippensteel Funeral Home, Lafayette, with Rev. James Barton officiating. Private interment will follow at Tippecanoe Memory Gardens, West Lafayette.

The family suggests donations to Alzheimer's Association in lieu of flowers.

Share memories and condolences at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com.