Obituaries : Richard "Dick" Raymond Baker

Richard "Dick" Raymond Baker was born on Feb. 24, 1941, in Vinton, the son of Raymond and Joy (Latting) Baker. Dick graduated from Dysart High School in 1959. On Oct. 9, 1960, he was united in marriage to Nancy Waller. The couple made their home in Traer and Cedar Rapids before settling in Dysart.

Dick worked at Rockwell Collins, Waller's Phillip 66 gas station, and the Farmer's Coop Telephone Co. for 44 years, he was the manager for 37, and retired in 2007. He was a member of the Jaycees (where he was a past president), Zion Lutheran Church, the Tama County Conservation Board, was a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. for the Rural Iowa Independent Telephone Association, and was the president of the Independent Telephone Pioneers Association. He was only the fourth person to serve as president of both RIITA and ITA. Dick played on the American Legion Jr. baseball team that won the Iowa state championship in 1956. He was a volunteer fireman and a member of the Dysart ambulance service for many years. Dick was also the Mayor of Dysart for eight years. He was an avid Iowa Hawkeyes fan, helped with honor flights, and enjoyed hunting, mushroom hunting, fishing, playing softball, golfing, bowling and playing cards.

Dick died at the age of 80, on Dec. 3, 2021, at his home surrounded by his three loving daughters. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Nancy; a daughter, Jane; and a sister, Carole Woods.

Dick is survived by three daughters, Kim Krupa of Dysart, Tracy (Marty) Hathaway of Marshalltown and Diane Baker of Cedar Rapids; five grandchildren, Dalton (Christine) Krupa of Madison, Wis., Lauren Krupa of Phoenix, Ariz., Heather (Joe) Myers of Muscatine, Nathan (Brooke) Holven of Garwin and Chelsea Holven of Cedar Rapids; eight great-grandchildren, Aidan, Justus, Adalynn, Dillon, Macy, Caleb, Sophia and Landon; a sister, Connie (Carl) Morrison; a brother, Joe (Peg) Baker; and many nieces, nephews and extended family.

The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, at Zion Lutheran Church in Dysart, with the burial to follow in Dysart Cemetery. The visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 6, at the Overton Funeral Home in Dysart.