To know Steve Baker was to become very familiar with the meaning of the word stubborn. And cantankerous. And ornery. He was indeed all of those words to the very end, when he sadly lost his battle with cancer. Steve passed at home on Oct. 28, 2024, surrounded by those who loved him.
Steve was born in Centralia, Washington, on June 3, 1957, to JoAnne and James Baker. He was the oldest of three siblings, and his childhood years produced more stories of shenanigans than we can count. He was always up to something, from filling his father’s gas tank with water to help balance the family budget to flattening his French horn in a cardboard compactor senior year. One story his mother would always recount was that on Saturday mornings Steve could be found in front of the TV watching cartoons while eating an entire box of cheerios out of a mixing bowl with her serving spoon. It’s no wonder he wanted to help balance the family budget!
After graduating from Centralia High School in 1976, Steve enlisted in the United States Army. He served three years and talked most fondly of jump training and his time spent in Alaska. He loved doing training in the harsh cold and talked about how much it taught him, building things like snow caves and igloos. He would always talk about how it made him think outside the box every time he built a shelter out in the elements.
Steve met Kerri Foss while working at Safeway, and the two were married in 1982. They shared a love of the beach, trips to Reno and spending time with their family. They spent nearly 40 years together before Kerri passed away in October 2022. Steve and Kerri had four children and four grandchildren. Steve loved being Papa for the past 14 years, taking seriously the job of spoiling his grandchildren.
Steve believed in working hard and playing harder. In his earlier years, Steve drove log truck, a job that he had many fond memories and stories from. He hardly ever knew a stranger, something that continued during his 25 years working at Cascade Hardwoods before retiring in 2017. He stayed just as busy during retirement, spending his time hunting, fishing and traveling across the country to visit friends and family or to stop in at places featured on American Pickers. Steve became reacquainted with an old classmate, Marianne Brewer, in 2023, and in July 2024 the two were married.
Living in Galvin for the past 39 years, Steve earned the title of (unofficial) Mayor of Galvin. He loved performing speed checks on passersby, recounting historic knowledge about the floods from his handwritten notes taped to the kitchen wall and literally keeping the lights on by collecting money to pay for the street lights in town for more than the last two decades.
Steve is survived by his four children, Amanda (Kris) McDougall, of Galvin, Ali (Travis) Allsup, of Tumwater, James Baker, of Centralia, and Steven (Jade) Baker, of Chehalis; his beloved grandchildren, Landon, Delaney, Aspen and Braxton; and his wife, Marianne.
In the last years of his life, Steve enjoyed spending time at the American Legion in downtown Centralia. To celebrate his life, his family will be throwing him a Memorial Party at the Legion from 2 to 4 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2025. All he ever wanted was a big party when he was gone, and by gosh, that’s what he’s going to get. Please join us for snacks and beverages and the telling of many stories to honor our father.
