Barney Joseph Baker

Our parents had 3 daughters already by the time Barney came along, so he was definitely a welcome change! Our youngest sibling, Darlyn, came almost 2 years later, completing the bundle of 5, 4 girls and 1 boy.

Barney was an inquisitive, unconventional, ahead of his time kid. As a young boy he built a HAM radio and antenna of scrap material and was talking with people all over the world when the FCC tracked him down. To say that Mother was surprised when law enforcement came knocking, would be an understatement! She of course had no idea that the FCC frowned on unlicensed operators using the airways.

Another one of his adventures was exploring an unfinished building, where he managed to fall from a third story to the ground, placing a few more gray hairs on Mother’s head!

Barney entered the Marine Corp because he wanted to get out of the rain, and the recruiting office was the immediate place to do so. He attained the rank of E5, was stationed in Hawaii, learned the art of survival, and came home a few months early due to Mother having terminal cancer. He was “the apple of her eye,” for better or worse.

When computers hit the scene, Barney was captivated! He studied everything he could get his eyes on and became one of Microsoft’s most active tester of new applications and even was part of some major changes to some of their latest releases. He and computers were kindred spirits! Repairing computers filled his time and kept his brain active for many years. Part of that activity was repairing “throw-aways” and donating them to the schools and to others whose cash flow had dwindled to a trickle.

A service with Marine Military Honors will be held for Barney at Sarasota National Cemetery, Sarasota, FL, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 9:30 A.M.