Keith Leon Baker

Our dear Father, Grandfather, Uncle and Friend, KEITH LEON BAKER, passed away peacefully on December 16, 2021 at home with his nephew Mark, and Valerie from Encompass Hospice at his side. The bond of love was too strong to keep him from joining his sweet wife. Enid passed away October 29, 2021, a mere 7 weeks later. They are all together again with Valerie and Greg for the first time in 29 years.

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Keith was born March 25, 1934, in Provo, Utah County, Utah, to Eva Caroline Bennett and Wm. Herbert Baker. Keith was the youngest of 11 children.

Keith’s family lived in Provo until he was about 7 when they moved to the west side of downtown Salt Lake City. Keith attended West High School, where he loved running track and his math classes.

During World War II Keith had his older 6 brothers all serving in the war at the same time in various parts of Europe and the Pacific Islands. Every one of them returned home safely. After worrying about their sons, his uncle was the one who died at the Battle of the Bulge. Keith loved doing genealogy and telling stories about his family and researching his ancestors.

Keith started working at Woolworth’s when he was in high school. He was still working there, and at the age of 22, he was also teaching dance classes at Arthur Murray dance studio. This is when he met a lovely girl named Enid Wilson. They loved to dance, and they danced their way to marriage on September 29, 1956. They celebrated their 65th anniversary just before Enid’s health went downhill. Over the years you could find them out dancing with family or friends or at a family reunion. You might have even found Keith dancing with one of his granddaughters or nieces in the middle of the kitchen.

Keith and Enid moved to Augusta Georgia in 1956 for military service. Their son, Gregory John, was born prematurely on April 15, 1957, while still in Georgia and had many issues getting caught up those first months. Their daughter, Valerie Dawn, was born August 14, 1960, after they moved to their first home in the Glendale area of Salt Lake City. Enid’s daughter, Alison Rosales, had been adopted as a newborn before Enid and Keith were married. Alison found Enid and Keith, her new mom and dad, about 25 years ago. What a blessing that she came along soon after Valerie had died in 1992 as a young mother. Unfortunately Greg also passed away in 2012. Alison and the rest of the grandchildren have been a blessing. Family has been everything to Enid and Keith. They are both going to be missed at the Christmas Breakfast table this year and every other family gathering.

Keith went to work for P.I.E., a trucking company when they returned from Georgia and worked in the trucking business for 48 years. He finished at Dick Simon and Swift trucking companies after P.I.E. went out of business. He did accounting and lots of typing work for the companies. And What a typist! Keith could type on those old manual typewriters so fast!

Keith loved the many opportunities he and Enid had to travel to many places in the country, including Hawaii, Alaska and also Puerto Rico and The Caribbean. They loved camping in the mountains, taking road trips or sailing on a cruise. He loved attending plays at Tuachan Theater and at the Shakespeare Festival with Enid and other friends. He also joined Enid and her group of ladies at Pioneer Theater. And did they love their Utah Jazz! They followed their Jazz through the winning and losing seasons!

Keith loved nothing more than a chance to sit and listen to stories of others as well as telling his own stories along with some good jokes. But he was also great at giving advice for solving life’s problems. Through life’s experiences, Keith gained a lot of wisdom and perspective on things.

Keith was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They dearly loved their Cannon 9th ward family, as well as their many close neighbors on Stewart Circle. Keith loved the chance he had to be a clerk working with the Bishopric. Together, they served a mission for Church Member Locators. They loved the people they worked with.

We moved them from their neighborhood, with them and neighbors in tears, in March 2020, just a week before everything shut down from the Covid-19 pandemic. They struggled leaving their home and neighbors they loved, but they settled in nicely at Chateau Brickyard Independent Living. He walked out on their balcony and spread his arms yelling to visitors below to look at his view of the mountains. He loved seeing them, after never living where he had a view of them before.

In September we had to quickly move them to Alta Ridge Assisted Living in Millcreek. It was hard for them to not be in their beloved home, but at least they were together. Keith’s devotion and care for his sweetheart was amazing. He helped her with any need she had, made sure she got her favorite foods, and was comfortable. Many of her falls took him with her, as he never left her side. There was no doubt they would be apart for very long because of the love they had for each other.

Keith was the adopted grandpa by the young women who worked at Alta Ridge. He has been surrounded by nieces, nephew, friends and especially grandchildren who made his last weeks of life very joyful. He was so thrilled to have his walls filled with pictures of all his family. He was heard saying he didn’t need to watch TV, he could look around his room at these pictures and live sweet memories of his loved ones.

Keith’s family and friends will always remember his big smile and smiling eyes, his ability to make others laugh, his kindness to everyone, and the good things he has done for anyone in need. There was no one who met Keith who didn’t like him back.

Keith loved the Christmas season. He loved his Savior, Jesus Christ. His scriptures were on his recliner that he read each day. He asked for the song “His Hands” to be sung at his funeral. Keith did an amazing job at trying to follow in the footsteps of the Savior and used his own hands and hearts to help others along his path.

Keith is preceded in death by his parents, daughter Valerie, son Greg, and his siblings: Viola Margaret, Victor Ray, Leo William, Max Herbert, Dorothy Mae, Donald Richard, Arthur Earl, Robert Smith, Leroy Thomas, and Eva Belle.

Keith is survived by his daughter Alison & David Rosales (San Diego, California), daughter-in-law, Cele Baker (Boise, Idaho) and the following:

11 Grandchildren:

Amy & Rick Stone, Justin & April Woudenberg, Tiffany & Jason Ferriera, Kristopher Baker, Chris Wagaman, Trish King, Amy Glassberg, Becky Rosales, Anthony Rosales, Bryan & Becky Jones, Jenna & Darin Kaye

26 Great grandchildren:

Austin & Shyann Woudenberg, Tayler Kummer & Kory Milburn, Jaydyn Kummer, Stormie Stone, Justin Woudenberg Jr., Kayde Woudenberg, Quinn Hemstreet, Paityn Norman, Makayla Woudenberg, Alexis Willden, Aalisabeth McCombs, Aaliyah Echeverria, Aalijah Pritchett, Vicky King, Brian Meyers, Cody Wagaman, Lindsey Wagaman, Hailey Glassberg, Sierra Allen, Dawn Woudenberg, Haylee Ferreira, Jaysen Ferreira, Jacksin Ferreira, Jaden Kaye, Bryson Kaye, Sydney (Joa) & Thomas Jacobus.

6 Great-great grandchildren

Aubree Woudenberg, Jesse Moore-Kummer, Westin Woudenberg, Henry Milburn, Keiaha Latham, Brooklyn Latham.

And many family members and friends who will miss him dearly.

Funeral services will be held in the Memorial Redwood Mortuary chapel, at 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah, at Noon on Tuesday, December 28, 2021. A viewing will be at the same location Monday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. and prior to the funeral beginning at 11:00 a.m. He will also be buried at the cemetery next to the mortuary.

The family wish to thank the staff at Encompass Home Health and Hospice, Alta Ridge Assisted Living and Chateau Brickyard Independent Living for their care and concern for Enid and Keith.

In Lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice in behalf of Keith (and Enid).

For those unable to attend the services, Memorial Mortuaries and Cemeteries are offering a livestreaming of the funeral service on Zoom.

1. Joining by computer

a. Go to zoom.us in any internet browser

b. Click “join meeting”

c. Enter the meeting id – 8012624631

d. A box will open saying “https://zoom.us wants to open this application”. Click “open zoom”

e. Click “Join with Computer Audio”

f. Click “Mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral services

2. Joining by phone or iPad

a. Download the Zoom app

b. Open the app and select “join a meeting”

c. Enter the meeting id – 8012624631

d. Select “join without video”

e. Select “Call using internet audio”

f. Select “mute” in the bottom left hand corner so that your audio does not interrupt the funeral services.