PROSPECT — Mark Dowd Baker, 94, husband of the late Arlene Maher Baker, died peacefully at home on July 30, 2020, after a brief illness.
Mark was a resident of Prospect for more than 70 years, and a generous contributor to public and private causes in his community and his church. He was a father of seven, a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War, a businessman, a Christmas tree farmer, an adventurous boater and a 4th Degree black belt in judo.
Mark was born April 5, 1926 in Waterbury, the third of eight children of the late John and Anna (Coleman) Baker. He attended East Mountain Grammar School, where he met his future wife, and Leavenworth High School.
When he graduated from Leavenworth in 1943, Mark enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served as a radio operator and tail gunner on a patrol bomber stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station in the Aleutian Islands.
After his discharge in 1946, Mark returned to Waterbury and worked as a commercial milkman for Sealtest Dairy. He married Arlene Maher in 1949, and the couple moved into the second floor of the Hotchkiss house in Prospect.
When the Navy recalled Mark to serve as a radar operator on a patrol bomber during the Korean War, the couple moved to the Naval Air Station in Pawtuxent River, Md.
After his discharge they returned to Prospect, where they raised their three sons and four daughters. They were communicants of St. Anthony Church, and active members of the community. Mark was a member of the Prospect police force for more than 25 years, and an early student of judo in the Prospect Judo Club.
He studied electrical engineering at Waterbury State Technical College and worked for Lewis Engineering in Naugatuck and Rockbestos in New Haven.
In 1971, he and Arlene started Thermo Conductor Services Inc., a wire manufacturing business, in their garage. The company now occupies a building in the Prospect Industrial Center and ships wire to cable manufacturers around the world.
Mark was a respected expert in the field of thermocouple wire, internationally recognized for his contributions to the improvement of existing products and development of new ones. He never retired, but continued to work full time until his death.
In 1989, Mark and Arlene bought the Evergreen Tree Farm on Matthew Street. They built a house on the hill and continued the tradition of selling cut-your-own Christmas trees to families from throughout the area.
On most summer evenings, Mark could be found on the farm planting trees, mowing the fields, clearing brush or building stone walls.
Mark and Arlene were intrepid boaters who were rarely put off by wind or waves. From the 1970s, on their first boat, aptly named the Dauntless, into the 2000s, on their third, the Mercator, they cruised the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine, sometimes in weather that kept other vessels in port. They most enjoyed their time each summer on Cuttyhunk Island, off the Massachusetts coast.
Mark is survived by his children, Mark and his wife Barbara, of Three Rivers, Mass., Daniel of Milbridge, Maine, Tracie of Litchfield, Timothy and his wife Cynthia, of Prospect, Sara of Boylston, Mass., Alice Genest and her husband David, of Hobe Sound, Fla., and Christine Gerndt and her husband Martin, of Middletown; two sisters, Ann Nichols of Louisiana, and Karen Malz of New Hampshire; one brother, Warren, of Waterbury; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and his loving friends and caregivers, Jackie and Hedy.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hope Ministry, P.O. Box 7117, Prospect, CT 06712; or to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Anthony Church, 4 Union City Road, Prospect. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial with full military Honors will follow at Prospect Cemetery. The calling hours will be at St. Anthony Church on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Prospect Memorial Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Due to COVID-19, all CDC, government and church regulations will be adhered to. Everyone is required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
For directions and online condolences, please visit prospectmemorial.com.
Mark was a resident of Prospect for more than 70 years, and a generous contributor to public and private causes in his community and his church. He was a father of seven, a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War, a businessman, a Christmas tree farmer, an adventurous boater and a 4th Degree black belt in judo.
Mark was born April 5, 1926 in Waterbury, the third of eight children of the late John and Anna (Coleman) Baker. He attended East Mountain Grammar School, where he met his future wife, and Leavenworth High School.
When he graduated from Leavenworth in 1943, Mark enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served as a radio operator and tail gunner on a patrol bomber stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station in the Aleutian Islands.
After his discharge in 1946, Mark returned to Waterbury and worked as a commercial milkman for Sealtest Dairy. He married Arlene Maher in 1949, and the couple moved into the second floor of the Hotchkiss house in Prospect.
When the Navy recalled Mark to serve as a radar operator on a patrol bomber during the Korean War, the couple moved to the Naval Air Station in Pawtuxent River, Md.
After his discharge they returned to Prospect, where they raised their three sons and four daughters. They were communicants of St. Anthony Church, and active members of the community. Mark was a member of the Prospect police force for more than 25 years, and an early student of judo in the Prospect Judo Club.
He studied electrical engineering at Waterbury State Technical College and worked for Lewis Engineering in Naugatuck and Rockbestos in New Haven.
In 1971, he and Arlene started Thermo Conductor Services Inc., a wire manufacturing business, in their garage. The company now occupies a building in the Prospect Industrial Center and ships wire to cable manufacturers around the world.
Mark was a respected expert in the field of thermocouple wire, internationally recognized for his contributions to the improvement of existing products and development of new ones. He never retired, but continued to work full time until his death.
In 1989, Mark and Arlene bought the Evergreen Tree Farm on Matthew Street. They built a house on the hill and continued the tradition of selling cut-your-own Christmas trees to families from throughout the area.
On most summer evenings, Mark could be found on the farm planting trees, mowing the fields, clearing brush or building stone walls.
Mark and Arlene were intrepid boaters who were rarely put off by wind or waves. From the 1970s, on their first boat, aptly named the Dauntless, into the 2000s, on their third, the Mercator, they cruised the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine, sometimes in weather that kept other vessels in port. They most enjoyed their time each summer on Cuttyhunk Island, off the Massachusetts coast.
Mark is survived by his children, Mark and his wife Barbara, of Three Rivers, Mass., Daniel of Milbridge, Maine, Tracie of Litchfield, Timothy and his wife Cynthia, of Prospect, Sara of Boylston, Mass., Alice Genest and her husband David, of Hobe Sound, Fla., and Christine Gerndt and her husband Martin, of Middletown; two sisters, Ann Nichols of Louisiana, and Karen Malz of New Hampshire; one brother, Warren, of Waterbury; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and his loving friends and caregivers, Jackie and Hedy.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hope Ministry, P.O. Box 7117, Prospect, CT 06712; or to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Anthony Church, 4 Union City Road, Prospect. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial with full military Honors will follow at Prospect Cemetery. The calling hours will be at St. Anthony Church on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Prospect Memorial Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Due to COVID-19, all CDC, government and church regulations will be adhered to. Everyone is required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
For directions and online condolences, please visit prospectmemorial.com.
PROSPECT — Mark Dowd Baker, 94, husband of the late Arlene Maher Baker, died peacefully at home on July 30, 2020, after a brief illness.
Mark was a resident of Prospect for more than 70 years, and a generous contributor to public and private causes in his community and his church. He was a father of seven, a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War, a businessman, a Christmas tree farmer, an adventurous boater and a 4th Degree black belt in judo.
Mark was born April 5, 1926 in Waterbury, the third of eight children of the late John and Anna (Coleman) Baker. He attended East Mountain Grammar School, where he met his future wife, and Leavenworth High School.
When he graduated from Leavenworth in 1943, Mark enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served as a radio operator and tail gunner on a patrol bomber stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station in the Aleutian Islands.
After his discharge in 1946, Mark returned to Waterbury and worked as a commercial milkman for Sealtest Dairy. He married Arlene Maher in 1949, and the couple moved into the second floor of the Hotchkiss house in Prospect.
When the Navy recalled Mark to serve as a radar operator on a patrol bomber during the Korean War, the couple moved to the Naval Air Station in Pawtuxent River, Md.
After his discharge they returned to Prospect, where they raised their three sons and four daughters. They were communicants of St. Anthony Church, and active members of the community. Mark was a member of the Prospect police force for more than 25 years, and an early student of judo in the Prospect Judo Club.
He studied electrical engineering at Waterbury State Technical College and worked for Lewis Engineering in Naugatuck and Rockbestos in New Haven.
In 1971, he and Arlene started Thermo Conductor Services Inc., a wire manufacturing business, in their garage. The company now occupies a building in the Prospect Industrial Center and ships wire to cable manufacturers around the world.
Mark was a respected expert in the field of thermocouple wire, internationally recognized for his contributions to the improvement of existing products and development of new ones. He never retired, but continued to work full time until his death.
In 1989, Mark and Arlene bought the Evergreen Tree Farm on Matthew Street. They built a house on the hill and continued the tradition of selling cut-your-own Christmas trees to families from throughout the area.
On most summer evenings, Mark could be found on the farm planting trees, mowing the fields, clearing brush or building stone walls.
Mark and Arlene were intrepid boaters who were rarely put off by wind or waves. From the 1970s, on their first boat, aptly named the Dauntless, into the 2000s, on their third, the Mercator, they cruised the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine, sometimes in weather that kept other vessels in port. They most enjoyed their time each summer on Cuttyhunk Island, off the Massachusetts coast.
Mark is survived by his children, Mark and his wife Barbara, of Three Rivers, Mass., Daniel of Milbridge, Maine, Tracie of Litchfield, Timothy and his wife Cynthia, of Prospect, Sara of Boylston, Mass., Alice Genest and her husband David, of Hobe Sound, Fla., and Christine Gerndt and her husband Martin, of Middletown; two sisters, Ann Nichols of Louisiana, and Karen Malz of New Hampshire; one brother, Warren, of Waterbury; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and his loving friends and caregivers, Jackie and Hedy.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hope Ministry, P.O. Box 7117, Prospect, CT 06712; or to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Anthony Church, 4 Union City Road, Prospect. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial with full military Honors will follow at Prospect Cemetery. The calling hours will be at St. Anthony Church on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Prospect Memorial Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Due to COVID-19, all CDC, government and church regulations will be adhered to. Everyone is required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
For directions and online condolences, please visit prospectmemorial.com.
Mark was a resident of Prospect for more than 70 years, and a generous contributor to public and private causes in his community and his church. He was a father of seven, a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War, a businessman, a Christmas tree farmer, an adventurous boater and a 4th Degree black belt in judo.
Mark was born April 5, 1926 in Waterbury, the third of eight children of the late John and Anna (Coleman) Baker. He attended East Mountain Grammar School, where he met his future wife, and Leavenworth High School.
When he graduated from Leavenworth in 1943, Mark enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served as a radio operator and tail gunner on a patrol bomber stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station in the Aleutian Islands.
After his discharge in 1946, Mark returned to Waterbury and worked as a commercial milkman for Sealtest Dairy. He married Arlene Maher in 1949, and the couple moved into the second floor of the Hotchkiss house in Prospect.
When the Navy recalled Mark to serve as a radar operator on a patrol bomber during the Korean War, the couple moved to the Naval Air Station in Pawtuxent River, Md.
After his discharge they returned to Prospect, where they raised their three sons and four daughters. They were communicants of St. Anthony Church, and active members of the community. Mark was a member of the Prospect police force for more than 25 years, and an early student of judo in the Prospect Judo Club.
He studied electrical engineering at Waterbury State Technical College and worked for Lewis Engineering in Naugatuck and Rockbestos in New Haven.
In 1971, he and Arlene started Thermo Conductor Services Inc., a wire manufacturing business, in their garage. The company now occupies a building in the Prospect Industrial Center and ships wire to cable manufacturers around the world.
Mark was a respected expert in the field of thermocouple wire, internationally recognized for his contributions to the improvement of existing products and development of new ones. He never retired, but continued to work full time until his death.
In 1989, Mark and Arlene bought the Evergreen Tree Farm on Matthew Street. They built a house on the hill and continued the tradition of selling cut-your-own Christmas trees to families from throughout the area.
On most summer evenings, Mark could be found on the farm planting trees, mowing the fields, clearing brush or building stone walls.
Mark and Arlene were intrepid boaters who were rarely put off by wind or waves. From the 1970s, on their first boat, aptly named the Dauntless, into the 2000s, on their third, the Mercator, they cruised the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine, sometimes in weather that kept other vessels in port. They most enjoyed their time each summer on Cuttyhunk Island, off the Massachusetts coast.
Mark is survived by his children, Mark and his wife Barbara, of Three Rivers, Mass., Daniel of Milbridge, Maine, Tracie of Litchfield, Timothy and his wife Cynthia, of Prospect, Sara of Boylston, Mass., Alice Genest and her husband David, of Hobe Sound, Fla., and Christine Gerndt and her husband Martin, of Middletown; two sisters, Ann Nichols of Louisiana, and Karen Malz of New Hampshire; one brother, Warren, of Waterbury; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and his loving friends and caregivers, Jackie and Hedy.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hope Ministry, P.O. Box 7117, Prospect, CT 06712; or to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Anthony Church, 4 Union City Road, Prospect. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial with full military Honors will follow at Prospect Cemetery. The calling hours will be at St. Anthony Church on Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Prospect Memorial Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Due to COVID-19, all CDC, government and church regulations will be adhered to. Everyone is required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
For directions and online condolences, please visit prospectmemorial.com.
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