Michael Duane Baker

November 28, 1951 - April 18, 2025

With great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved son, husband, father, grandfather and brother. Michael (Mike) D Baker. After an extended illness, Michael passed away peacefully April 18,2025 at home in the loving care of his wife Helen and the compassionate services of Providence Hospice of Spokane.

Michael Duane Baker (73) was born November 28, 1951, in Salt Lake City Utah to Francis (Frank) and Marie (Nielsen) Baker. He spent his early childhood in American Fork Utah where his father was the director of a residential training school for special needs children. It was a quintessential 1950s boyhood of go-carts and bicycles and brakeless pedal cars screaming down dirt hillsides while wild-haired boys chased after each other to see who would sustain the worst injuries at the bottom! Their mothers were not amused. In the years passing his family moved to Olympia WA where Mike developed his leadership and business skills serving as WA State DECA Club President from Olympia HS. And later while attending Eastern Washington State College (University) serving as ASB Vice-President and director of student activities. It was at EWSC that Mike became a rabid EWU Eagles fan, following their football season for decades. In the postgraduate years Michael served quite successfully in sales for such corporate giants as Proctor and Gamble, Chlorox Co, and the Johnson and Johnson Company, and as national sales manager for Thermos Corp. At the age of 26 he was honored as one of the youngest salesmen to be awarded Territorial Manager of the Year for Johnson and Johnson, receiving the coveted Sterling Silver Tea set from the VP of sales at J&J in their annual National Awards ceremony.

Michael eventually returned to his PNW roots. In Kenmore, WA, he directed his own manufacturer’s rep. business until finally resettling in Spokane where the pace of life was quieter. In Spokane he involved himself with the political action activities of the local association of realtors serving as SAR’s Director of Governmental Affairs for 5 years and the WSAR RPAC state board. Appointed by former Mayors Condon and reappointed by Mayor Woodward, he also served as a Commissioner on the Spokane City Plan Commission before retiring in 2023.

Business aside, Michael became an ardent family man later in life. Marrying Helen Bergman, his wife of 25 years, came with an instant family of three adult stepchildren, of whom he is survived. Christopher (Rhonda) Cutler, Audrey (Dillon)  Mayo and Karen Cutler Sherwood (David). Three grandchildren: Kristen Manfredo, Anthony (Hazyl) Manfredo (with great grandbaby Ophelia) and Gweneth Lexie Mayo whom he called “Itty Bitty” since birth and who believed he hung the Moon and Scattered the Stars in the Night Sky just for her. She wasn’t wrong. Now he joins them, winking down at her.  Michael loved family life, the pace of planning family reunions and gatherings, the cookouts and the cook-ins and the occasional “surprise!” for dinner. He cherished the endless hours on the phone being a listening ear when one child had family problems and was so far away but needed her Dad. Recall, the too-early summer mornings when he and 5yr old Anthony sat on the back porch eating cold cereal and discussing the golf stats of Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson so as to not awaken the rest of the sleeping house.  He taught our eldest son and his wife how to play Chinese Mahjong! They became fierce competitors every time we got together! Now we have an empty chair in our foursome. Michael will be dearly missed. Michael is also survived by his 94yr old mother Marie, Tampa FL, his brother Greg Baker (Sarah) Woodinville WA a sister, Tina Antram Tampa FL and nephews Philip and Eric Baker and their families and cousins and an uncle. An honorable mention goes to two lifelong buddies from college to the present day,  Herb Jones and Jim Dewalt of Spokane. MEMORIAL SERVICES for Michael D. Baker will be on May 8, 2025, at 12:00 noon at the Sunset Chapel, Fairmount Memorial Park 5200 Wellesley Ave Spokane WA. Commitment service at the gravesite will be at 2:30pm at Spokane-Cheney Memorial Gardens 5909 Cheney Spokane Rd Spokane WA 99224