Harry Roland Baker was born in Springfield, Missouri in 1933.  He passed away on December 10, 2023, at the age of 90.

Harry is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joanna Baker; his daughter, Teresa Gonzales and her son Cameron; his daughter, Patrice Bovo and her husband, Michael Bovo, their son, Squire Bovo, his wife, Faith and their son, Sawyer; his cousins, Billy Long, Jake Diemer, Jan Baumgartner, Caryn Long, Cathy Vanlanduyt; and his beloved dog, Rigby.

Harry was predeceased by his father, Roland Baker and mother, Ethel Baker.

Harry graduated from Greenwood in 1951 and enlisted in the United States Army. He was sent overseas where he served as a mechanic in Okinawa, Japan. After returning from the war, he attended the University of Missouri where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree. He also joined the Kappa Alpha Order where he was a Knight for over 50 years.

Soon he started his career with General Electric as an electrical engineer and was involved in the patenting of motors he designed for the company. Harry took the opportunity to travel for a couple of years.  He ended up in Jonesboro, Arkansas, where he met the love of his life and future wife, Joanna.

Harry dedicated his time and skill into General Electric and made several moves around the country before being promoted to Executive Vice President for the company.  However, he decided to make a change and accepted a position at Emerson Electric as a Vice President for their company.  In 1989 he became the President of Marathon Electric, a position he held until 1998.  During that time, he also sat on the board and had the position of Director of Wausau Paper Mills Company from 1992-1997, and the Director of Mosinee Paper Corporation from 1997-2004.

Harry received many awards and acknowledgements throughout his career and was appointed to serve as chairman of the board in Washington, DC for the NEMA Motor and Generator Section from 1992-1995.  He was honored for leadership and Support of Junior Achievement in 1995.

Harry and Joanna retired to Omaha, Arkansas in 1998. He was a lover of vintage cars.  He collected, restored, and showed several cars after he retired.  A couple of his vehicles are now on display at car museums in Springfield and Branson.

He also loved to fish and devoted time to travelling across the United States and Canada trying to catch them. He also enjoyed riding his ATVs with fellow members of the Ridge Riders and took trips to the Rockies, Montana, and South Dakota to ride their trails.

Also during his retirement, he worked for Wounded Warriors to raise money for the education of fallen soldier’s children, funded scholarships at several universities including College of the Ozarks, and travelled to Disney World to judge high school robotic competitions for four years.

Harry and Joanna loved to entertain family and friends at their ranch in Omaha but also enjoyed the peace quiet it afforded them.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, December 18, 2023, at Greenlawn Funeral Home, North at 1:00 pm. The family will receive visitors from 12:00-1:00 p.m. before the service also in the funeral home. Burial will take place at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, Springfield, Missouri.

Condolences and fond memories may be left at www.greenlawnfuneralhome.com