Kay (Whisnant) Baker

Kay Baker, 65, passed away at home in Lodi, CA after a long illness on Saturday, July 6th. Born in Seattle, Washington, she was raised in Eureka. She attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, majoring in Food Technology. Upon graduation she moved to Stockton to begin a career as a supervisor at the Safeway's Meat Processing Plant where she worked for 22 years. Shortly after moving to Stockton, she met her husband to be, Fritz, and they married in 1972. She is survived by her husband, her sister and brother-in-law, Betty and Brian Pech, and two nephews, Michael and Christopher. Her parents, Champ and Alice Whisnant, predeceased her. She raised dogs of all sizes, from Yorkshire Terriers to Golden Retrievers. She was an avid gardener, growing plants from seed to fill the garden with just the right color and size. She was a gourmet cook whose friends were thrilled to get an invitation to dinner. And she liked to travel as long as the destination had plenty of sun and sand and ocean which took her to Hawaii and Mexico often. Friends will remember her sense of humor, the almost constant smile on her face and her easy going manner. She volunteered for the Stockton Homeless Shelter, the Matanchen Bay Spay and Neuter Clinic, and helped found a scholarship program for potential college students in Nayarit, Mexico that guarantees tuition and/or room for up to four years at the University of Tepic. The family would like to thank all of the people who called, emailed, and visited her for their outpouring of love and support. She respectfully asked not to have a memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions should be sent to: Hospice of San Joaquin, 3888 Pacific Ave., Stockton CA 95204.

Published in Eureka Times-Standard on August 18, 2013.