Ernest Baker Jr.

ERNEST BAKER JR., AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS ('TONY'), WAS BORN TO ERNEST BAKER SR. AND ORA LEE (MARSHALL) BAKER ON JANUARY 7, 1949, IN GARY, INDIANA.  HE WAS THE SECOND OF TEN CHILDREN BORN TO HIS PARENTS AND WAS AN OBEDIENT AND LOVING SON. HE ATTENDED PULASKI SCHOOL, GRADES K-9, AND GRADUATED FROM FROEBEL HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 1966.
DURING HIS SCHOOL YEARS, TONY WAS VERY FRIENDLY, PLAYFUL, AND EXTREMELY ATHLETIC. HE WAS A TYPICAL 'BABY BOOMER'...ACTIVE IN CHURCH

HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD. EARLIER IN HIS CHILDHOOD, HE WAS MIRACULOUSLY HEALED OF SEVERE EPILEPTIC SEISURES...AND GOD RAISED HIM UP TO PERFECT HEALTH!   IT SOON BECAME OBVIOUS THAT HIS GIFTEDNESS IN BASKETBALL WAS PHENOMENAL.   A SOUTHPAW...HE COULD AIM A ROCK OR A BASKETBALL AT ANY TARGET WITH AND HIT TOTAL ACCURACY!   HE WAS CALLED THE "WHIZZ", BECAUSE HE WOULD, WITH THE GREATEST EASE, SPEED, AND GRACE IMMEDIATELY DOMINATE THE COURT, CAPTURING THE COMPLETE AWE AND ATTENTION OF THE VIEWERS AND PLAYERS! HE WAS THE "MICHAEL JORDAN" OF HIS DAY, CITYWIDE, AND AT FROEBEL HIGH SCHOOL!
HE JOINED THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IN 1968, AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1971.  HE MOVED TO PHOENIX, ARIZONA, WHERE HE COMPLETED TWO BACHELOR'S DEGREES AND A MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION AND TAUGHT THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.  ALWAYS BLUNTLY HONEST AND RATHER COMEDIC, ERNEST TAUGHT WITH HIS OWN FLAIR. WITH NEVER A DULL MOMENT, HIS STUDENTS READILY LEARNED FROM HIS CREATIVE PRESENTATIONS OF HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES.
ERNEST WAS A GREAT FATHER TO ALL OF HIS CHILDREN...LOVINGLY SUPPORTING, NURTURING, AND BLESSING THEM IN ANY WAY HE COULD. THEY ALL LOVE HIM SO DEARLY AND WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE JOY AND LOVE THEY SHARED.
RAISED IN A HOME WHERE GOD WAS REVERENCED AND THE WORD OF GOD TAUGHT DAILY, TONY BECAME QUITE LIKE "JOHN THE BAPTIST". HE HAD A DEEP LOVE AND A RADICAL PASSION FOR SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH "EVERYONE".... FROM THE 'HOMELESS' TO THE MOST 'ACCOMPLISHED'.   AN AVID TEACHER OF GOD'S WORD, HE BOLDLY AND FEARLESSLY SHARED THE GOSPEL, AND COMPELLED MEN TO COME TO CHRIST!  MANY SOULS ACCEPTED CHRIST THROUGH HIS MINISTRY.
DURING HIS WORLD TRAVELS, HE WAS JUST AS ADAMANT IN SHARING THE LORD WITH ALL RACES AND CREEDS. THE EPITOME OF HIS JOY AND PEACE IN THE LORD WAS SUPERNATURLLY FULFILLED DURING THESE PAST SIX MONTHS. HE WAS SOO HAPPY AND AT PEACE WITH THE LORD....JUST PRECEDING HIS TRANSITION TO HIS HEAVENLY HOME...GLORY TO GOD!
ERNEST PEACEFULLY TRANSITIONED FROM THIS LIFE TO HIS HEAVENLY HOME ON FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 26, 2021.  AFTER THE INCREASING DIFFICULTIES OF HIS ILLNESS, HE EXPRESSED TO HIS WIFE, JUNEGRID, THE DESIRE TO "GO HOME".

Ernest was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Baker Sr. and Ora Lee (Marshall) Baker.
He leaves to cherish his memory: his loving and devoted wife, Junegrid...children: Theodora, Theodoxa, Theorosa, and Theojoshua...
Gia M. Baker, Dominique A. Baker...Grandchildren: Charity Baker, Zaria Tebou, Aiden Tebou, Jai Lani Tebou, Erik Tebou....Great grandchildren: Maya Harrison, Erikah Harrison, and Jeremy McKenzie.
Siblings: Gloria (Edward) Tolliver, Stanley (deceased) Lillian, Linda M. Cobb, (Oscar), Cheryl (deceased) Ivan, Jacqueline (Darry) Boyd, Debra (Donald) Liddell, Daniel (Debra) Baker, Darryl, (Treasie) Baker, Timothy (Tasha) Baker, and a host of dear relatives and friends.
 

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