Franklin Phillips Baker, Jr., age 89, Long Valley, NJ died Wednesday, May 7, 2014 at Paragon Village in Hackettstown, NJ. Franklin was born December 18, 1924 in West Orange, NJ, to the late Franklin Phillips Baker, Sr. and his wife Thelma, née Nelson.
Franklin was married to Sonja Jeanette Baker, née Jacobson, on August 16, 1958; they were married 55 years.
He graduated from Kearny High School and attended the New Jersey Institute of Technology before transferring to and graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Class of 1966, with his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Franklin served in the Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1947 and the Korean War from 1950 to 1951. He was employed at Picatinny Arsenal as a mechanical engineer, where he received numerous awards before retiring in 1993. Previously, Mr. Baker worked for Bendix Corporation, Dean Ward, the Kearny Police Department, and the New York Port Authority Police.
Franklin was a member and served on the church councils of First Lutheran Church in Kearny, St. Timothy Lutheran Church in Wayne, St. David’s Episcopal Church in Kinnelon, and Zion Lutheran Church in Long Valley. Franklin’s hobbies included the Roxbury Area Model Airplane Club, bowling with the West Hudson YMCA Church League and the Picatinny Bowling League, chess with the Picatinny Chess Club, the Morris County Chess League and the Hackettstown Chess Club, and playing bridge as an International Match Points player. He was a Literary Volunteer of America as well as an English as a Second Language teacher. His civic duties included serving on the Senior Advisory Council of Washington Township, as Vice Commander of the American War Veterans of Washington Township, as a District Trustee of the Vasa Order of America, New Jersey District No. 6, being a charter member of Vasa Three Crowns Lodge No. 704, which he served as Financial Secretary, Vice Chairman, and Chairman, and serving on the Board of Trustees of NJ Vasa Home Park and as membership chairman for the Scandinavian American Heritage Society.
He is survived by his wife, Sonja Jeanette Baker; two sons, Franklin “Frank” Baker, III and Kathy Baker, Jeffrey Baker and Diane Cunningham, and four daughters, Marianne Tomandl and Daniel Tomandl, Cynthia Scott and Randy Scott, Kristin Baker and Roy Groething, and Nancy Baker and Michael Everett; his sister-in-law, Lucille Baker; and his eight grandchildren, David, Mark, Eric, Audrey, Willamina, Alexander, Samantha and Alex; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Franklin is preceded in death by his brother, Richard Baker, and sisters, Hilda Gunther and Elberta Ingrassia, as well as his parents.
The funeral service will be held 11:00 am on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at Zion Lutheran Church, 11 Schooley's Mountain Road, Long Valley, NJ. Pastor Richard Kiesling will be officiating. Calling hours will be Friday, May 9, 2014 from 3:00 to 5:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 pm at Cochran Funeral Home, 905 High Street, Hackettstown, NJ. Cremation will be private.
In lieu of flowers and at the request of the family please make donations to: Social Ministries – Zion Lutheran Church, 11 Schooley’s Mountain Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853, in memory of Franklin.