Joe Leon Baker

Joe Leon Baker, 72, passed away peacefully on the morning of September 11, 2021 at Avamere Transitional Care and Rehabiltation Center in Brighton, Colorado.

Joe was born to Harold and Margaret (Taul) Baker January 4, 1949 in McCook, Nebraska. He was born during the Blizzard of ’49 in Southwest Nebraska. He was raised on the family homestead Northeast of Stratton, NE. Mechanics came natural to Joe, fixing his mother’s oven door at the age of four and rebuilding his first engine for a farm truck at the age of eight.  He enjoyed helping around the farm, mainly repairing equipment as his severe allergies would hold him back from farming. He was an active member in Hitchcock County 4H and Civil Air Patrol. He was in the first Kindergarten class in Stratton and would graduate in 1967. Joe was the third generation to graduate from Stratton High School. He also received a State of Nebraska Four-Year Regents Scholarship to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

August 31st of 1969 he married Sharlene Kay Redfield of Palisade, NE at The United Methodist Church in Palisade. His earliest memory of her was seeing her at a country dance, and he said she looked like a China doll, with her rosy cheeks and light skin. While dating Sharlene, Joe had been able to eat two suppers, one at his home and one at Redfield’s until his future mother-in-law mentioned something to his mother in passing, the second suppers stopped quickly.

He graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, with help from his wife, with a Bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and completing his masters in 1973. Sharlene enjoys saying she put him through college including typing his thesis for his Masters.

Before they started their own family, they enjoyed a trip on their 1970 Honda CB750 to California, visiting family and seeing the beach. Some short time later, Sharlene gave birth to their daughter Sharon Kay on Sharlene’s 30th birthday of 1977. Then in June of 1982, took in their three nephews Mitchell, Tim, and Chancelor Redfield. While raising these four Joe managed to complete his Master’s in Business Administration through St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA. Joe was also heavily involved in 4H with the four kids’ projects in small electrical, small engines and rocketing. As if they didn’t already have their hands and hearts full, along came their boys Christopher Lee and Michael David in 1988 and 1990.

Over the years Joe worked for many companies including but not limited to Lindsay Zimmatic, Case, Volvo, Stewart & Stevenson, Johns Manville, SPC (Specialty Products Company), Sundyne, and once turned down a job offer with Ford Motor Company. He helped design things from pivots to buses to aftermarket suspension parts for cars and pickups. If you were to ask him about his greatest work accomplishments, it would be the two patents he held at Case used in the design of Case’s first rounded glass cab Backhoe.

Later in life he circled between cars, Boy Scouts and camping. Joe had belonged to many collector auto clubs across the Denver area. He also was an Assistant Scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 109 in Brighton, participating in many camping trips over 10 years. Including canoeing 50+ miles on the boundary waters of Minnesota twice. In recent years, Joe was an active leader with the Girl Scout Troop 575 in Fort Lupton where two of his granddaughters participate. He shared his passion, some say addiction, of cars with not only his children but his grandchildren as well.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Margaret Baker; brothers Rodney and James Dale; and nephew Mitchell Redfield.

Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Sharlene of Commerce City, CO; daughter Sharon Naukam and fiancé Aaron Parsons of Fort Lupton, CO; sons Christopher Baker and wife, Sabrina of Palisade, NE; Michael Baker and wife, Jaclyn of Littleton, CO; nephew Chancelor Redfield of Fort Lupton, CO; and brother Harold (Gene) Baker of North Platte, NE; six grandchildren; and numerous other family members, extended family and many friends.

Cremation was chosen. A family gathering will be held to return a portion of his ashes to the Nebraska homestead he loved.

Celebration of life services will be held on October 1st, 2021 from 4-7 at Chapel Hill Church in Brighton, CO and October 16th from 12-4 at Lakeview Lodge near Stratton, NE. Lunch will be served.

Memorials may be made in his name to Girl Scout Troop 757 of Fort Lupton, CO; Boy Scout Troop 1147 of McCook, NE or Girl Scout Troop 10541 of Trenton, NE.

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